


After My Father's Funeral

by kisstheprincessofpurewhite



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Funeral, Gen, Leia Organa-centric, Multi, Racing, Slow Burn, Wedding, lawyer!Leia, mentions of past trauma, racer!Han, this needed to be made
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-20 19:58:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14900999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kisstheprincessofpurewhite/pseuds/kisstheprincessofpurewhite
Summary: Funerals can be stressful, but so can weddings--especially with a family as effed up as theirs. Unfortunately for Leia, she has both to attend in one go. So much for repression. Modern AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the past die, bury it if you have to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mara is here because why not. To be perfectly clear, Mara and Luke are getting married but about a month before the wedding, Anakin kicks the bucket. This fic was born out of the idea that it would be very traumatic to be a Skywalker in the modern day.

If Leia had learned anything from her albeit limited experience traveling, it was that bureaucracy was a bitch. “Bureaucracy is a lawyer’s best friend, Miss Organa,” her boss, Akbar, had told her. “These people, they try so hard to cover every little crack and crevice, but it’s our job to find where they were wrong.” Today, in-line at the airport, Leia was fairly certain it was the whole idea that was wrong with bureaucracy. After her ticket failed to work, she had to wait in-line to speak with a representative, having already spoken with two other employees and a supervisor. It was as if the universe was preventing her from going home, which she desperately wanted to take as a sign to switch her flight to someplace with tropical beaches. She was even considering Canto Bight, when it was her turn in line.

“Thank you for flying Rebel Air. How can I help you, ma’am?” The smiling woman said.

“Yes, hello, I have a last-minute booking to Naboo, and my tick-“

“We have a policy on exchanging flights for last-minute bookings, ma’am. I’m sorry.” The response was tired, rehearsed, as if countless people had tried to weasel out of the policy of the company.

She sighed inwardly, bidding the dream of the casino goodbye. “I don’t want to exchange, I want to get on my plane, my ticket won’t check me in.”

“How odd, may I see your ticket and some ID, please.” Leia handed both over, and the woman scanned it. “Naboo, huh?”

Leia was not in the mood for smalltalk. “Yep.” The airport had to be the worst place for small talk.

“What brings you there? Big racing down there, I hear.”

“Yeah, yeah, I grew up there. I’m going for family stuff, you know. A funeral and then a wedding.” The representative nodded and smiled knowingly. How ironic, there’s no way she could’ve known.

The computer made a noise, not a good one either, and the rep made a face, and tried again. “Hmmm,” she said. “Odd, let me get my supervisor.”

Leia groaned and laid her face on the counter. She hated to leave her fate in the hands of strangers, without any agency as to getting anywhere. After a few moments, she huffed, trying not to lose her temper. She wasn’t in a hurry per se, but also wasn’t in the mood to spend any more time than she had to with airport employees.

The rep appeared with another employee. “I’m sorry about that Ms. Organa, here’s a new ticket for you, should work now,” the (presumed) supervisor told her, scanning the ticket. There was a happy sounding beep, and she took her ticket with a thanks.

She checked her bags, and sat down at her gate. The tv above the gate was on; she immediately regretted glancing at it.

“…the noted activist, and so-called ‘Champion of Free Speech’ Anakin Skywalker has died. The 65-year old had been battling lung cancer for nearly a decade before passing away in Naboo on Friday. Skywalker first rose to fame as a leader of the Imperialists under the name ‘Vader.’ But Skywalker had moved away from the group in recent years—even calling it a ‘cult’ in one noted interview—to support pro-environmentalist groups. His family asks to make any donations to…”

“Quite the enigma, that man.” The voice made Leia jump, and she looked over to see a man sitting next to her looking at the TV. He saw that she had looked over and continued. “I read his book ‘Anti-anti-‘, and let me say—“ She immediately got up, took her carry-on bag, and moved to sit on the opposite side of the seating area with her back to the stranger. If the man was at all offended by her behavior, she neither knew nor cared.

Skywalker certainly had a way of ruining everything, even the flight to his funeral.

* * *

The Naboo airport held one of her most treasured memories: when she had parted with her brother, Luke, for the first time since what she had dubbed the Ruling. They who had spent a majority of their formative years apart, only to be reunited at 16 through the worst of all circumstances, left each other for the first time since then in a tearful goodbye at the airport four years ago. At the time, she knew she wouldn’t miss the city, her old college, or even her (recently) ex-boyfriend, but she hated leaving her twin after trying so hard to stay together.

So today it was only fitting that it be Luke’s face to greet her at the gate. Their embrace was tight and full of longing, she hadn’t seen her brother since before they had turned 25. Leia turned and greeted the woman beside Luke with her own tender embrace and a kiss on the cheek.

“Mara, you look so well,” Leia said, gripping her soon-to-be sister-in-law’s forearms.

“Thank you, as do you as always. Thank you for coming sooner than we’d originally talked about, I’m sorry if it spoiled any of your plans.” She blew her red hair out of her face, smiling broadly.

“Well, if they were spoiled it’s how ol’ dad would’ve wanted it,” Leia released Mara and heading towards baggage claim.

“Now, Leia-“ Luke’s voice was a warning, one that she wasn’t about to heed.

“‘Now, Leia’” Leia mockingly repeated. “I promise to keep my comments to myself during the wake and the funeral, but I make no such guarantees about anywhere else.”

She couldn’t hear Luke’s sigh, but she knew it was there. They picked up her bag, and hopped into Luke’s old truck.

“When’re you going to get a new car?” Leia asked. “The windows still roll down.”

“Luke had said something about the end of days, but that is in contention,” Mara joked from the backseat.

Luke only smiled. Leia knew that he wasn’t bothered at all at Mara’s comment, or even at her’s towards Skywalker. Her brother had the most positive temperament of anyone she’d ever met; she resented him just a little for that.

“I hope you don’t mind staying with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru,” Luke said as they crossed over Amidala bridge. The bridge connected the inner city and the boroughs of Naboo, a passion project of their late mother’s. They had named it after her, a symbol of how much she had been universally loved in her local community.

“Of course not,” Leia stated, only lying a little bit. It was difficult to pin blame on anyone for the unpleasantness that had framed the last ten years of her life. Luke was definitely not a candidate, and therefore should not have to suffer her contention. Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru were contenders as well as her own dear parents. The only person who Leia could surely, 100%, be blamed was Anakin Skywalker. And blame him she did.

They pulled into the drive-way of the Lars’ Farm, and all three each rolled out of the hot car—Luke’s air conditioning had quit sometime in college. Her Uncle and Aunt greeted her warmly, showing her to the guest room, which had, at one time, been Luke’s room. After the Ruling, Leia had sat with Luke in this very room and imagined their lives together growing up as they might have been. The faces of those who would raise them were blurry, but so many of the memories she’d constructed had felt so real, it was bittersweet to think of her childhood without him. Now the walls were bare of Luke’s Ahch-To and X-wing posters and the room certainly smelled better.

She was debating between living out of her suitcase or unpacking when Luke came in with his hands in his pockets and a peculiar smile on his face. Leia knew that look, as she knew every look--every movement even--of her brother’s. Choice words were about to be said, and she was sure she wasn’t going to like them.

“A bit different from when we were 18,” Luke commented.

“Certainly smells better.” That got a chuckle, but it didn’t really reach his eyes.

“Leia…” She sighed, and crossed her arms. “I’ve never been able to tell you what to do-

“Nor will you ever.”

“-but could you at least keep your comments about dad, our dad, to a minimum? Or at least confine them to just between us?”

“Mara knows perfectly well what I think about your father, no sense in hiding from her.” She tried not to be exclamatory, only firm, in her distinction of “your.”

Luke was not having said distinction. “He was your father too.” His tone was matter-of-fact, not loud.

“No, he wasn’t. A father is there for you, a father teaches you how to ride a bike and playfully threatens your prom date. Anakin Skywalker was not my father.”

Luke sighed, exasperated. “What more could he have done to redeem himself to you?”

Leia rolled her eyes. “Well, there’s no use asking that question now as there isn’t anything more he could do. He’s dead.”

“I know that, but what could he have done?”

“Not be a racist? Not inspire god-knows how many to kill? Not left our mother to die? Taken care of us after she died? Oh, and when he didn’t do all those things, how about not putting the fact that we are related to him in the goddamn public record? You know how many opportunities I’ve lost because of him? All a potential connection need do is google my name and right there is ‘daughter of noted activist Anakin Skywalker.’” She stood from the bed, ready to defend her viewpoint in the impending argument.

“You think I haven’t had doors closed in my face too? You really think you’re the only one to suffer?” They weren’t yelling, Luke never yelled. But his voice was firm and contentious.

“No, but you still defend him, he ruined our lives!” Leia didn’t understand how Luke could see the events of the past and come to any other conclusion.

“What would you have done, Leia? If you were in his shoes, what would you have done?” He had always seen the world through their results: Skywalker had brought them back together as brother and sister so ergo Skywalker was good.

“How can you continue to defend him? He’s ruined your wedding!” There were tears in her eyes now, threatening to fall.

“By dying? It’s not like he could choose when-“

“I wouldn’t put it past him.”

Luke sighed, and she felt the tension drop. Their argument would not escalate further. “Mara and I already live together, and we have the rest of our lives, the wedding is just a day.”

“One of the only days in your life where you have all of your loved ones together in one room.”

Luke shrugged. “Maybe you’re right, maybe he was comforted by the idea that everyone was going to be here anyway.”

Leia bit back her comment, knowing it was no use to argue with him. She sat back down, her temper deflated. Luke kneeled on the bed beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

“You have every right to be angry, and I hope one day you decide to let it go. Either way, I’m glad you’re here.” Leia bit back the tears until Luke embraced her and she let them fall, silently crying into his arms.

“Luke, Aunt Beru wants to know-“ Mara said, poking her head into the room. “Oh, sorry. Is everything alright?”

Leia nodded and wiped her face as Luke rubbed her back. “Yeah, it's just a lot, you know, to be back here, in this room. We tried weed in here, one time, did Luke tell you?” Luke was right, there was no use dragging Mara into her trauma.

Luke didn’t seem phased that she had lied about what was going on, and groaned. “Never again, I will never understand the appeal.” The three of them laughed and Leia fingered the duvet cover. She tried to tell herself it was only the jet-lag and airport that had made her so upset.

* * *

 The Wake was the next day, and flew by before Leia even noticed. Both the funeral and visitation were closed events, invitation only, with enforcers hired to keep any unwanted company out. There was a slight mix-up that involved a Senator from Scarif but was soon sorted out without much hassle. Overall, the night was full of people wishing both her brother and her well. Though the stream of mourners was steady, there couldn’t have been more than a few dozen. Mara had mentioned something about the event conflicting with the races, and Leia laughed to herself that not even her father’s funeral could compete with this town’s obsession with racing. Most of the guests were also wedding guests, and promised to be there in a little over two weeks under much lighter circumstances.

“I hope they all RSPV’d, otherwise it's going to be terribly awkward to turn them away,” Luke said to Mara and Leia during a small break between mourners.

“‘Sorry great-aunt Myla, I know you said you’d be here two weeks ago, but that was then and this was now,’” Mara mimed Luke turning away elderly potential wedding guests. The three all cracked a smile and greeted another couple, Anakin’s former editor and his wife.

They had chosen a closed casket for both events. Still, Leia couldn’t help but glance at the casket every so often with a sick desire to set her eyes on Skywalker one more time. To see if he was really dead? Would she find joy in knowing he’d finally gotten what he’d deserved: a slow death, probably most of it in pain? She snapped her head away and shook her head. Pretty soon, she’d turn out like him: evil.

The funeral was the Friday after. In front of the mirror, Leia was hoping no one would notice that she’d worn the same black dress to both the wake and the funeral. She only had maybe two black dresses to begin with—white was more her color. And, even then, she’d had to pack for nearly a month and could only take so much with her. Besides, she was grieving, right? Who expected someone to be en vogue while in mourning? To finish the outfit, she wore big, dark glasses so that—hopefully—no one saw her rolling her eyes during the ceremony.

The temple was surrounded by natural beauty, flowering trees and even a waterfall. She was sure Luke had picked out this place. Another receiving line, more mourners. After a dozen or so, she was stifling a yawn and excused herself to get some water.

It was on her way down the hall that she ran into someone she had not expected to, and, from the look on his face, he had not expected her either.

“Cassian?” She said, removing her glasses.

“Leia, its good to see you again.” They awkwardly stood in the hallway. Cassian was with a very pretty woman their age, with big blue eyes and somewhat of a European face. If the rumors from Luke were true, then this must be...

“Leia, this is my fiancé, Jyn Erso. Jyn, this is…an old friend, Leia Organa. We went to school together.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Leia said, smiling and extending her hand.

“Ditto.” So she was English. “Sorry about your loss.” She shook Leia’s hand. It shouldn’t feel weird, should it? To meet your ex’s fiancé. She tried to smile and push it out of her mind.

“Thank you both for coming, but, in truth, I had not expected you to be here.”

“It was more for your brother and Mara-“

“And you, of course,” Jyn interjected.

“Of course. You and Luke and Mara, we came to support you. How are you doing?” She couldn’t make out his tone, and therefore if he was referring to her life in general, the funeral, or the wedding. She said as much. Cassian chuckled and Jyn even cracked a smile. “All three, I guess.”

She addressed each in sequence. “Fine, ehh, and fine.”

“We should get together and catch up, the fo- five of us,” Cassian said.

“We’re having a party tomorrow night to celebrate the wedding,” Jyn said. “You’re invited, of course.”

“Well then, of course I’ll come,” Leia assured. The three of them started back towards the entrance where her brother and Mara were waiting.

“And we’ll have to meet, and catch up,” Cassian reminded.

“Yes, catching up, let’s. It was nice seeing you both, I’ll see you in there, and maybe after. Definitely tomorrow.” Leia talked as they walked. She took her place next to Luke as Mara kissed the cheek of some tall scruffy-looking guy. Leia figured he was probably one of her family as she had never seen him before, but thoughts of the man were quickly put out of her mind.

“Cassian! Jyn!” Luke said, shaking the hand of the two, Mara embraced them both.

“It’s great that you’re both here, we’ll see you tomorrow.” Mara told them and Leia nodded, already turning to the next person in line.

The funeral went by also without a hitch, though Leia had her fair share of eye-rolling and snorts—the latter of which she masked as sobs with the help of an acquired tissue. The speaker carefully skidded over Skywalker’s debatable crimes against humanity by simply referring to them as “dark times.” Leia had to pretend to blow her nose to contain the scoff from that one.

Soon enough they were wheeling the casket up the aisle and headed to the cemetery. Only close friends and family were attending, no more than ten or so people. Luke and Mara rode in Leia’s rental rather than Luke’s truck. They were right in the front behind the hearse.

“I don’t think I ever thanked you for coming early, Leia,” Luke said, and Mara rubbed his arm.

“No need, I wish I could’ve come sooner and helped out with any affairs that needed to be tended to.”

Luke shrugged. “There wasn’t much to sort, he knew it was the end and had already planned with money set aside. He was in the hospital for the last year, didn’t even have a house or many personal items. No, all he-“ Luke must’ve known that she wouldn’t’ve cared if Skywalker had wanted her at his funeral or not, and amended his statement. “All I wanted was for you to be here.”

“Then I’d do it again, one-hundred times over. Anything for my baby brother.”

Luke smiled. “I’m the oldest.”

“Are not.”

“Are to.”

“I can dig up the pictures of the birth certificates again, if you insist.”

Luke seemed to shrug. “Pictures can be doctored, unlike your attitude.”

That made Leia laugh out loud as they pulled into the cemetery, the loud bell proclaiming their purpose for visiting.

There was a small ceremony at the tomb-site, the speaker inviting anyone to come and say something. Luke gave a small speech, as did a few others, but Leia hardly noticed. She was looking over the rise to the group of men wearing all black who seemed to be staring at them. They had shaved heads. One raised a sign over his head that read: “Long-live the Emperor.” That was enough for Leia.

“Excuse me,” she said quite suddenly as she got up and to the enforcer who’d come with them, directing his attention to the intruders. He quickly spoke on a walkie-talkie, making his way in the direction Leia had pointed.

The group noticed the man heading towards them, and some started to run away. Most stayed put.

“Hold fast, brothers!” one yelled so that even the dead could hear. “They can’t stop our free speech!”

“We aren’t the government, you fucking dickhead! It's a private ceremony, and you’re intruding! Go be a waste of oxygen somewhere else, you ignorant, servile scum!” Leia shouted back.

“It’s you who are the scum! Not giving this great man a proper burial as he outlined in his 1986 manifesto!”

“Tell that to executor of his fucking estate with a will from circa 2014! Leave us to mourn in peace, and let the past die before I kill it myself!” Leia’s throat was hoarse, but she would gladly out-shout a symphony to keep skinheads away from Skywalker’s burial. Not for the sanctity of Skywalker’s grave or anything like that, instead for the sake of peace for those she loved.

“You hear that, she’s threatening me!”

By now the enforcer had caught up to them, and most of the group had fled. But the person conversing with her across the cemetery had to be restrained and escorted out. Leia sat down and with a nod, the speaker continued as if not missing a beat. No one seemed too surprised something like this would happen. All Leia could think was it figured that Skywalker could even ruin his own burial.

They lowered the casket and began burying it. As they did this, Leia made her way over to a different plot, placing the bouquet she had brought with her on the tombstone: “Here lies ORGANA Bail and Breha, loving wife, husband, parents, and friends. May the force be with us all.”

“Hi,” Leia whispered. “It’s been a minute.”

The wind whispered over the peaceful place.

“Wish you were both here, I think about you every day.”

She laid on her back, head on the flat stone as though it were a pillow, and imagined herself there, forever.

“Practicing?” A voice said and she cracked her eye open to see her brother, his tie untied, and dirt on his pants.

She nodded and closed her eyes. She heard the grass rustling as he lay next to her.

“Do you wanna be buried here?” Luke asked.

“Yeah, it’s so peaceful. You’ll be next to me, right?”

“Of course. I’ll even do you one better and split a coffin with you. Save us a lot of money.” With the private ceremony and unlisted grave, there was hardly any money left for the two of them. Leia had felt bad for Luke what with the wedding three weeks away, and had refused what small amount was left for her, insisting he take it.

Leia laughed. “Go out of this life the way we came in?”

Luke also laughed. “I didn’t even think of it that way.”

“Hey, at least we’ll be together. I never wanna not be together, in one way or another.”

Luke sighed in agreement, and took her hand. They stared at the sky together, watching the clouds.

“You two should move to Coruscant, there’s a ton of writing jobs there. And it's not too far from Ahch-To, which I know you love.”

“We’ve talked about it.”

“You should do it.”

“We’ll see.” Luke was silent for another moment. “We should be getting back.”

Leia sighed and got up. “Any more appearances until the wedding?”

Luke looked pensive for a moment as he got up. “Well there’s Cassian and Jyn’s party tomorrow, and our party that we’re throwing and-“

“Ok, ok, I guess I’ll have to always be on my best behavior.” They started walking towards the cars.

“Thanks for getting after those guys,” Luke said after a moment of walking.

“It was my pleasure, I assure you.”

“Never thought you’d defend dad’s right to have some peace.”

“I was thinking mostly about how much I didn’t want to see you try to have a calm discussion with the skin-head before he reset your clock.”

“I could’ve taken them.”

“Sure.”

They reached the cars where most everyone had left, Mara was waiting by the car.

“There you two are, I was beginning to wonder if you’d fallen into an open grave or something,” she said.

“At least then we’d leave this life the way we came in,” Luke joked.

“Gross, you know, there is such a thing as too close, you two.”

“It was Leia’s joke!” Luke said as he claimed the front seat.

They started driving back Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru’s, stopping to get a late lunch.

“You met Jyn, right?” Mara asked from the backseat. Leia nodded.

“Yeah, she and Cassian seem cute together.”

“He’s great. She’s my maid of honor.”

Leia nodded. “She seems really nice, kinda quiet. But nice.”

“Well, we’ve been through a lot, the two of us. I’d like if you two got along. I know there’s some history between you and Cassian, but-”

Leia shook her head emphatically. “There won’t be a problem, I swear.”

“You’ll have to meet my best man,” Luke piped up.

“Speaking of someone she might have a problem with,” Mara muttered.

Luke looked over his shoulder at her, but Leia didn’t catch it. He ignored Mara’s comment otherwise. “He’ll be at the party tomorrow.” Leia hummed in agreement. “Try not to kill him, will you? Or at least wait to kill him until after the wedding.”

“I make no such guarantees,” Leia quipped, getting a small laugh. “But I promise to at least try to leave him in one piece for the pictures.” She racked her brain and trying to remember if Luke had said something previously about this guy. Did Luke even mention him at all? He kept up with such a strange crowd since dating Mara, who knew a lot of people in the racing scene. Leia groaned internally, praying to god he wasn’t one of those stuck-up racing types.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I have to say that I have little to no experience with law, racing, or funerals. I do know a bit about weddings from working with my wedding coordinator mom, so I will be sure to post some wedding advice from what I've experienced. So if something is wrong, please tell me and I will be willing to at least consider it in the context of what I'm writing. Please just be respectful, I'm doing my best, for free, in my spare time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we meet our leading man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating has changed due to smut in a later chapter. There will be an indication of which chapter.

One family function down, one ginormous one to go, Leia thought as Jyn poured her a drink of something strong—hopefully. Not that she loathed to see her dearest brother get married, but she hadn't anticipated all the socializing she would have to participate in. Particularly right after Skywalker's funeral. At first blush, however, Jyn and Cassian's small party didn't seem all too bad. There were around two dozen people there, mostly people she had known from around town, high school, or college. None of whom she was too keen to socialize with. It had taken all of her limited skills to slip away from the happy couple as everyone had greeted Luke and Mara at the door.

The couple had sat down in the main living room with everyone sat around them or having their own conversations. It was, by any means, a calm, normal get together. Cassian had mentioned that Jyn was in the kitchen pouring drinks, and Leia jumped at the opportunity. "I'll see if she needs any help," she had said, heading to the pointed direction of the kitchen.

Jyn had looked up to Leia coming in, but politely refused help. "Not much to do at this point, what'll you have?"

They'd sat in silence for a minute while Jyn poured, and Leia felt things were more than a little awkward.

"Tell me about yourself, Jyn," she said as the woman slid Leia the red plastic cup.

Jyn looked over her own cup and sighed. "I hate being the hostess, how's that?"

"Well, it does make it easy to go home at the end of the night." Leia took a cursory smell of the beverage, and took a sip.

Jyn smiled and nodded. "It does, but I was never much of a party girl."

"Neither was I. Give me a good book and a bottle of whiskey and I'll snap at you to leave me alone the whole night."

Jyn laughed at that. "You seem to be in better spirits than yesterday."

Leia shrugged. "You gotta let the past die sometime, right?" Jyn nodded, but seemed to look somber too. Leia sighed. "Don't tell me, Anakin Skywalker ruin your life too?"

Jyn shook her head. "I'm afraid that honor goes to my own father, Galen Erso." She'd had her body facing away from Leia until them. Jyn now turned to face her across the island counter.

Leia blinked. "Wait,  _the_ Galen Erso? Of-"

"Khyber Industries? Yeah. You've heard of us." Jyn didn't look up from her own drink, her lips were pursed.

"I guess our dad's are peas in a pod. Yours makes the explosives, and mine lights 'em." Leia tried to remember her promise to Luke. But how often do you meet a kindred spirit?

"Khyber doesn't only make explosives, and he wasn't a bad person, really, he wasn't. You have to believe me. Just-" Leia knew that feeling, the desperate desire to reconcile two conflicting ideas: father and creator of terror.

She decided to throw Jyn a bone, to show they were on the same side. "He hasn't left you a good legacy."

Jyn sighed as if relieved Leia understood. "No. It feels like a weight on my chest, like he somehow strapped the souls of all the people those terrorists took." Jyn took a long drink and rubbed her temple. "And no one understands, not even Cassian. He tries, oh he tries, but-"

Leia nodded emphatically. "Believe me, I get it. You're looking at probably the only person who does. Maybe Luke, but I doubt it."

Jyn sighed again and Leia placed a hand on her arm. They were quiet for another minute as Leia wondered. Cassian seemed to have a type, a thing for girls with daddies who committed atrocities and issues because of them.

"I shouldn't have brought it up. Just- being back home, I can't help but be depressed," Leia finally said, not wanting to let that be the last thing they say to each other.

"No, I'm the one who shouldn't have said anything. I know- erm…" Jyn raised her eyes to the ceiling, a different awkward radiating from her.

"How much has Cassian told you about me?" Leia asked, not trying to be confrontational.

"Some, I can't say how much. I know about your father, and your parents- the Organas, that they- they-"

Leia raised her hand. "Its fine, they're dead, no need to say anymore."

"And he said that you'd…changed, and you broke up not long after."

Leia chuckled that those two events were correlated so easily, while, to her, they had seemed so separate. Her parents died in a horrible tragedy, while her relationship with Cassian fizzled out after they both grew up. Maybe a change of subject was in order. People were starting to come into the kitchen for food and more drinks and it would be better if neither of them cried over their dead fathers. "You're maid of honor, yes?" Jyn nodded, scratching the side of her cup with her nails. "Lucky you, you and Mara close?" People were coming by, getting drinks and chatting.

Jyn nodded again. "We had the same foster parents for a while, and have been close ever since. We both work at the races now, even."

Ah the races, Leia had nearly forgotten about them. For a while, in Coruscant, she had been able to pretend that people didn't actually lose their time, money, and minds over gasoline fueled moving parts and tire treads. "How're those going by the way?"

Jyn chuckled at that. "Pretty well, I guess, but that's a pretty broad question." She handed someone a drink.

"Who's- who's winning?" Leia had no idea what she was talking about, and she was sure Jyn could pick up on that. Luke had done some small-time racing in college, even once winning and semi-final, but never made it to the local pro-circuit. He'd said it just wasn't his scene, and went back to studying transcendentalists.

"Well, it will depend on who you ask." Jyn leaned over the counter and gestured to a man standing on the end of the island counter where they were sitting. "Like he'll tell you no one matters but him, but he also lost the most recent race. So it differs, you see."

The man seemed to hear Jyn because he turned his head and grinned at her. His smile was charming, Leia would give him that, but bregrudingly.

"One time," he said. "I let them have one, Erso." He kept his body facing away from the two women, taking a drink from his own cup.

"Tell that to the others, Solo, you'll be in for a fight," Jyn told him, not looking up at him. She poured a drink for a woman Leia didn't know but was faintly familiar.

"You know me, always looking for a good fight." Leia watched him as he caught the eye of the woman getting a drink from Jyn. The smirk was back. "Don't do the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs with a passive attitude."

That comment tickled a part of Leia's memory. Where had she read something about that again?

"Leave her alone, Han. She's not going to sleep with you." Jyn's warning was firm but also slightly teasing.

"Maybe let her decide for herself." He turned around finally and smiled at her. "Hi," he said.

She smiled and greeted him back.

"What's your-"

"Its 13," Leia said finally, causing everyone at the island to look at her. "If you're Han Solo, it was 13 parsecs, not 12."

His whole demeanor changed, standing up straight and pursing his lips. His brown leather jacket fit him very nicely, but did nothing to hide his size, while not humongous, intimidating nonetheless "It was less than 13, that's the official ruling. I should know, I was there." There was more annoyance than amusement in his voice, but not completely devoid of mirth.

"That's true, 12.759. But the officiants count in quarters and round up." Leia'd always had the reputation for being a "know-it-all," which was annoying even if she did deserve it.

"How do you-"

"I have the official record, well, a picture anyway." Leia showed them her phone.

He leaned over the table and squared his jaw, squinting at the picture. "Where did you get that?" He sounded more curious than accusatory.

"I'm a lawyer, and it was necessary research for a case that I'm not at liberty to discuss as it is still ongoing."

He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "You can't just pull up documents like that-"

"Actually you can, its in the public record." She slid her phone back into her pocket. "No one does because its a lot of work, but sometimes your findings can pay off. Like at a party where a guy is using technically correct facts to hit on women."

Jyn chuckled moving away from the counter, the other woman had already walked away. Solo uncrossed his arms and walked—sauntered even—to lean on the counter next to where Leia was. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced, I'm-"

"Han Solo, we established this already." She did her best to keep her body language neutral so that there would be no doubt that his attempts at flirting were not working.

"And you're the girl who made quite the scene the burial yesterday." There was a ghost of a smile on his lips.

Leia felt her lips twitch into a smile, but she reigned them back to placid. "You were there?"

He shrugged. "I was invited."

"I would hope so, who in their right mind wants to crash a funeral?"

"Those guys you yelled at didn't seem to mind." The smile split his lips now.

"I rest my case." She broke eye contact with him. His eyes were just too much to stare into. She took a sip of her drink for something to do.

"So who was the dead guy to you?"

"I should ask you the same, you're not related to him, I know that much."

"How-"

The door flew open, held open by Luke's outstretched arm. "Han!" Luke said, a bit more enthusiastic than he'd probably intended, but it was sometimes hard to tell with Luke. "I see you've met my little sister. Leia, this is Han."

The two in the kitchen turned to stare at the open door. Everyone in the living room has stopped what they were doing to peer in at the drama and Leia sighed.

"Wait- wait, you're L-"

"Leia Organa, nice to meet you. Let's not do this again, shall we?" She slid off the stool she'd been perched on, heading for the door.

"He bothering you, Leia?" Luke asked as Leia moved to go past him.

"Worried about me, baby brother?" Leia didn't look to see, but she was sure Luke made a face.

The party resumed as normal, but now Leia was sitting next to Cassian and Jyn as everyone watched an old movie. It was one of Luke's favorites, she knew that, but had missed the beginning. She felt the couch next to her sink with the weight of a person, and felt her annoyance level spike.

"So as I was saying 'fore we got so rudely interrupted," Solo said quietly enough so that only she could hear. "Sorry about your dad."

She flinched and set her jaw. "My dad died on the sidewalk of the town square five years ago after being mowed down by a car. The man we buried yesterday was nothing to me."

He seemed speechless by her admission, but it didn't make him go away either. "I'm sorry," he only said. "Life's fucking complicated."

"And you're making it so much better currently."

"I've been known to turn the attitude of a room, I admit." She refused to look at him, but she knew he was smirking.

"From bad to worse, yeah." She glanced at him, and he was indeed smiling. "And what are you smirking at?"

"Its just so amusing that you don't even know me, but have decided you hate me."

"I don't hate you, like you said, I don't know you."

"Could've fooled me."

Cassian moved to look over Leia. "Han, stop it. You may think you're an unstoppable force, but she is definitely an immovable object. Leave her alone," he said, settling back down.

"Thank you, Cassian," Leia said. "What a gentleman." She couldn't stop the words coming out of her mouth, and immediately regretted them.

"He just compared you to a rock or likewise." Solo's voice was different, no longer teasing, genuinely offended?

 _Maybe I'm into that_ , she desperately wanted to say, desperately wanted to see what he would do when she said that. But she knew what it would sound like to Cassian and Jyn, both of whom she had a terse friendship to begin with. No, better to show restraint. She was an adult, after all.

"Say it," Solo egged. "Whatever comment you're biting back, say it."

She only looked at him, using up the last of her resolve to stand and cross the room. She wedged her way in between Mara and an old college friend of Luke's to rest against her soon-to-be sister. She did her best to not look at Mr. Solo the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know a lot of people didn't like Solo, and you're all entitled to your opinion. But there will be some allusion to that movie, but not a lot. I'm pretty fast and loose with the canon if you can't tell.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia and Han continue to butt heads. How many times does she have to meet this prick?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters will be posted every other day or so. Thank you for the kudos, comments would also be much appreciated.

The wedding was going to take place on Uncle Owen's farm, and Mara wanted to show Leia where everything was going to be. Leia wasn't too perturbed by the tour taking place quite early on a Friday morning, she was an early riser anyway. Every morning at 6:30 she got up for a run, got her breakfast, and headed to work. The latter was replaced on her vacation with either lounging around the Lars' residence or working on the small amount of work she'd been able to bring with her. She'd found early on that a steadfast routine—while monotonous to some—was one of her only anchors in a turbulent world. She'd found very little in the way of permanent closure, but dammit if she couldn't get through a day.

That day she'd gotten a bit of a late start, but it didn't matter; she didn't have anything else to do but wish she was spending her (probably only) vacation someplace with beaches and hotter guys—at least ones that don't race. Mara was waiting for her when she got back from her run, along with Luke and someone she had hoped to file away under "bad encounters." She wasn't sure what Han Solo was doing here, but she knew it wasn't good.

"Leia, care for some eggs?" Aunt Beru asked her, and she politely declined.

That smirk was back as Solo eyed her up and down. "Couldn't help but notice you're driving a 2017 TIE, not bad."

Leia set her hands on her hips and stared at him for a second, at a loss for words. "Its a rental. I don't have a car."

Solo seemed shocked by this. "Really, how do you get around in that big city then?"

Leia shrugged. "Walk, take the bus. Sometimes Uber or I carpool."

Solo shook his head. "You should get a car. Now, I know a guy selling-"

"If I wanted a car, I would go to my local dealership and buy one, not buy some junker off of a random." Leia was not in the mood for this, her routine was off and she had not anticipated this encounter.

Solo shook his head. "This car is not a junker, far from it. I admit it might need some work done, but-"

"Let me guess, you know a guy."

"Yeah, me. I'd help you with any of your car troubles, sweetheart." His grin was back.

Leia winced at the nickname. "This is the problem with you Naboo guys, you're obsessed. You only look at girls because your cars don't have tits. I'm surprised some sucker hasn't done that yet, or maybe he's just worried you'll stick it in the tailpipe!" A noise made her glance over and she realized that Mara and Luke were barely holding back their laughter.

"What's so funny‽" She demanded.

"You two," Mara said, wiping her eyes. "C'mon, Leia."

"Why is he even here?" Leia demanded.

Luke cleared his throat. "He's- he's my best man."

Leia's whole body went rigid as she stared incredulously at her brother, already dreading every single encounter she was going to have with this man.

"You've rendered her speechless, kid," Solo said, still smirking, causing her to redirect her icy gaze to him. He didn't even flinch.

"C'mon, Leia," Mara said again, and Leia turned to follow her.

"Oh, princess, before you go." Leia stopped but refused to look back. "You may be right about 'Naboo guys'-"

"Hey!" Luke protested.

"-but I'm from Corellia. Nice to see you again." He sounded like this small distinction meant a world of difference, but it did little to sway her opinion. Leia stormed out after Mara, catching up with her just outside of the house.

"He's always been like that, ever since I've known him," Mara said, catching Leia's look.

"How do you stand him?"

"He's better once you get to know him. He can be a real great guy." Mara chuckled at her groan. "Just don't let him know he's getting to you, he'll only pick on you if it bothers you."

Mara showed her the place where the pavilion where they'd be having the ceremony as well as where they'd have the reception. "The old barn is the rain plan, but we're hoping it won't come to that. You can only get those places so clean. And sorry again for not having you as a bridesmaid, we decided simpler was better and I figured you'd want to be on Luke's side anyway."

"Don't worry about it. So long as I'm sitting by someone nice, I'll be fine." When Mara didn't say anything, Leia groaned. "Not him, anyone but him."

"Sorry, but we want the same number of people on both sides, for pictures, you know? And Han doesn't have a date and Jyn is sitting with Cassian."

"Is there an open bar at least?"

Mara laughed, and nodded. "It was Luke's one request for the reception. He said he didn't care where it would be or how many people would be there, he just wanted you to be there and an open bar." The two walked side by side back to the house. Leia was dreading another encounter with Solo, but she hoped that maybe he'd left.

"You're back," Luke commented from the couch. He and Solo seemed to be drinking coffee and watching a race.

Leia avoided Solo's gaze, and made to go back to her room.

"The offer for that car still stands, sweetheart," Solo called to her, and she stopped in her tracks.

 _Don't let me know he's getting to you._ She let out a breath and turned around.

"What is it?" she asked.

He smirked and sat up. "An old 1974 Tantive, the 4th in its series."

She crossed her arms. "I thought you said it wasn't a junker."

He chuckled. "It isn't. Its from my pal Lando, he doesn't buy junkers."

Mara scoffed. "He's right, Leia. But Lando also wouldn't tell you about any fatal flaws in the cars either."

Solo assured them that he'd checked out the car himself. That it maybe need some bodywork and a fresh coat of paint, but was, overall, a good buy.

"Isn't that car huge?" Leia asked. "I'd need something more compact. No, I think I'll be fine, thank you anyway, Mr. Solo."

He looked amused. "Mr. Solo is my deadbeat dad, Ms. Skywalker-"

She flinched and snapped. "Organa, my name is Organa, not Skywalker."

He blinked, but barely missed a beat. "My apologies, call me Han."

"Alright, Han. You may call me Leia."

"Oh, may I?"

"Can you two give it a rest?" Mara asked, rubbing her temples.

Leia slipped away to her room, intending to call the office. Maybe they'd had some work they could send over.

She was on the phone with Mothma when Mara poked her head into her room.

"Hold on one second, yeah?" She said to Montha.

"Would you like to go out tonight?" Mara whispered.

"With who? Where?"

"The six of us, you, me, Luke, Jyn, Cassian, and Han. To Jabba's."

Leia sighed. "Yeah, yeah."

"Ok, sorry to bother you." Mara ducked out.

Leia sighed inwardly and went back to talking on the phone.

* * *

Leia had remembered the first time she'd gone to Jabba's Hut when she was 19. It had seemed so cool to get past the bouncer with a fake ID Cassian had gotten for her. She'd gotten drunk for the first time there, and had puked in Cassian's car when he brought her home. Things had definitely changed since then. What was once a 21-up bar that sometimes had shows was now a full on club with a DJ, dance floor, and laser light show. Nearly as soon as they had ordered drinks and sat down, the two couples had paired off to go dancing, leaving the two singles behind. Leia expected S- Han to ditch her and start hitting on the locals, which she told him. He shook his head.

"I don't mess around at Jabba's anymore. I'm lucky I was able to get in," he shouted over the music.

"What? Why?" Surprising, to be honest. She straightened her dress over her legs. It wasn't necessarily like what she would've worn to a club in Coruscant, but she had limited options living out of her suitcase. Besides, who was she trying to impress in this town.

"Jabba and I had a- let's say a disagreement awhile back over a sponsorship. It's all smoothed out now, but at the time it was pretty serious." He wasn't looking at her, but staring out at the dance floor. She wasn't sure if he was scouting out potential trouble.

"I didn't even know there was a 'Jabba.'"

"Well of course there's a Jabba, who else would come up with that name?" Leia shrugged at him and sipped her drink. "I'm surprised you're not dancing or looking for a date yourself," Han said.

Leia shook her head. "I thought I made it clear what I thought about Naboo guys. I grew up with some of these people, as far as I'm concerned, they're lucky I even showed up."

Han seemed to laugh. "You graduated with Luke?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I went to Alderaan High up until my junior year, and moved to Tattooine when I was a senior."

Han shook his head. "Alderaan, wow, that's a name I haven't heard of in a while. Tore it down, didn't they?"

She nodded. "Yeah, they claimed structural flaws, but I'm convinced it was bullshit. They just wanted to build that strip mall."

"Must've been hard, moving in your senior year."

She shrugged. "Everyone had to, so I wasn't alone. And after-…well,  _the Ruling,_ there wasn't much worse that could be done." She took another sip of her drink. "Besides, I met Cassian, and we dated for a while. Got to spend my senior year with Luke, wasn't all bad."

"You dated Cassian?"

"Yeah, for maybe four or five years."

Han looked shocked. "I never would've thought- huh."

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. "What?"

"Nothing, I just-"

"Never would've thought a  _princess_ like me would be willing to date someone who relies on DACA?"

"Well, when you say it like that-"

She shook her head. "I might have been like that when I was younger, but things have changed. People change. Now I want to make the world better. Make sure people get their just desserts, might run for DA someday, even."

"Alright, alright, no need to convince me, I might just be some lowly tailpipe fucker, but I wasn't born yesterday." Leia laughed.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here, you two getting along?" Luke shouted as he and Mara slid into the booth next to the two of them.

"A moment of weakness, I assure you," Leia said, not looking at Han.

"C'mon Leia, dance with me," Mara said. "Luke's pussying out."

"Not surprising," Leia said as she moved to get out. "I was shocked he was even willing to come here, it cuts into his usual time of reflection and contemplation."

Luke scoffed, drinking, and she laughed. The two of them danced and even ran into Jyn and Cassian. Cassian went to go get another drink so the three women all danced together. Leia conceded that this was indeed a good time, if it wasn't for the lights flashing and the loud music beginning to give her a migraine. She tried to muscle through it and focus on how Jyn—for the first time since she'd met her—looked like she was having the time of her life. After a few songs, Leia was hot and exhausted. She got some water from the bar and was just about to head back when she felt a strong arm around her.

"Fuck off," she said without thinking.

The intruder laughed. "Maybe, if you buy me a drink first, but how 'bout a dance instead?" She turned to see Han, one arm draped over her shoulder.

"You drunk?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I told you I don't mess around at Jabba's."

"Dancing counts as 'messing around.'"

He shrugged. "I'm not good at following rules, even my own."

"Why is that not surprising? I'd really rather sit down, I'm starting to get a headache."

He followed her back to the booth where Mara and Luke were swaying to the rhythm in their seats. The song playing was one of the slower songs that night.

"Oh, Leia, Han, will you sit with the table so we can dance? Its our song," Mara asked emphatically.

"Yeah of course." The two of them sat down as the couple got up to dance.

Han and Leia sat in relative silence until the song was over, and there was a small reprieve from the music.

"I should show you my car," Han said.

"What?" Leia asked, even though she'd heard what he'd said. He took out his phone, an older smartphone with a screen cracked nearly beyond repair. He showed her some pictures flipping through some before and afters, and telling her about the history of the '63  _Falcon_. It was hard to tell what Leia was looking at exactly with the cracked screen, and it was hard to hear over the music and her pounding head. She merely nodded and said "yeah" whenever seemed necessary, hoping this conversation wouldn't go on forever.

"So you'll come tomorrow?" He asked and she blinked.

Leia had no idea what he was talking about. "Sure, where at? What time?"

He gave her the address and she put it into her calendar under "Solo Thing" at 8 am. She could barely think of Han getting up before 11, but she could barely think at all at this moment.

"You weren't kidding about that headache, you look awful," Han said.

"I bet you say that to all the girls."

"Only the cute ones." Leia was pretty sure he winked, but she couldn't tell at this point.

"I think I need to go home." She rubbed her temples, not sure if she should surrender her fate into the hands of a man who she'd only recently become on speaking terms with.

"Say no more, sweetheart." He stood and made his way over to the dance floor, hopefully to find Luke so he could take her home. She felt bad to ruin her brother's good time, but she was beginning to feel sick.

It was Jyn and Cassian who came to the table, not Luke.

"Sorry you're not feeling well." Cassian sounded about as remorseful as he could over the music, which was quite a bit considering. "Do you need a ride home?"

"Taken care of," Han said. "I already texted Luke, but I couldn't find him. Tell him I'm taking her home."

"Ok, but make sure it's her own, ok?" Cassian asked. "I don't think you want to know what'll happen if its not."

"Guys, I'm having a migraine, he didn't roofie me," Leia protested. Cassian held up both his hands in surrender

Han led her out of the building and over to the parking lot where an old black sedan sat.

"Is this the  _Falcon_?" Leia asked.

Han gave her a look, but didn't call her out for not paying attention to his small spiel. "No, this is a 2005 TIE, a commercial car, legally drivable on the roads. The  _Falcon_ is for racing."

"Oh, that's disappointing." Leia got into the passenger seat, curling up under her seatbelt.

"Don't worry, you'll see the  _Falcon_ tomorrow. That is, if you're feeling up to it." He got into the driver's seat, turning on the car and turning down the radio to a soft hum.

Leia waved it off. "I'll be fine. I'll be there." As they headed towards Uncle Owen's farm, Leia added the note to the event in her calendar: "See the  _Falcon_?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters are so short because I wanted them to be even and I'm anal about it.  
> I want to also make a note here, even though its not nearly as much of a problem, that I am no longer accepting requests for fics. This has been a long time-coming, and no single person is at fault. Thank you in advance for your understanding. If there's an issue or idea for any existing fic, or anything, I'd be glad to hear ideas, but no more new fics. My sanity can't take any more. Thanks again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You could even call it a date if you actually cared about that kind of thing. Not that either of them did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be my favorite chapter. Maybe. I like it a lot, anyway. Based on personal experiences, sort of.

After taking one of her "for emergency only" migraine pills, plenty of water and caffeine, and getting a good night's sleep, Leia made it to the location Han had specified. She wasn't sure what she was expecting. Maybe an early morning race or some convoluted scheme to get into her pants? And if it was either of those, why she was even going? The location was even more puzzling, the Old Temple on the far side of town. It was too quiet for there to be a race going on, but there were too many people there for this to be some plan of Han's to get her alone. Or maybe she wasn't giving him enough credit. There were two signs: one indicating regular parking and the other for show parking. She guess "regular" was what she was looking for, following the sign and parking in a dirt lot behind the main building. It wasn't until she saw the rows of cars sitting in the field with people milling around that she realized what she was at: a car show.

She hadn't been to one in years, since before her parents had died. There were mostly hot rods but there were some racers there as well. She didn't anticipate meeting Han until she got to the racing cars, and so took her time. Leia preferred the hot rods, something Bail had shown her appreciation for. She looked over every one of them, taking her time. Her favorite of the ones so far was the white X-Wing classic from 1958. She took a picture for Luke, and kept on moving. It was a chillier morning and she had opted to wear a white jacket over her outfit.

Some people she'd grown up with were there, such as the Damerons, Kes and Shara, who were showing off the old '72 firetruck. She had seen them at the party, but hadn't gotten the chance to say hello. They gushed about their newborn son, showed her pictures, and promised to be at the wedding. Leia was glad to have seen them both. Jyn and Cassian were there as well, showing off some of the old cars Mr. Andor had collected.

"What're you doing here?" Jyn asked as they embraced. "Are Luke and Mara with you?"

"No, I'm flying solo today, if you pardon the pun. I promised Han, actually."

Jyn looked very surprised, as did Cassian.

"Just how drunk did you get last night?" He asked, looking concerned.

"It was more migraine related," Leia concede.

"And you're sure you got home alright last night?" Jyn clarified.

"If I didn't, why would I have come?" She eyed both of them. "You know, for someone Mara claims to be 'not that bad,' none of you really seem to trust him."

"He isn't that bad," Jyn said. "He's just-"

"Not as reliable as he could be," Cassian finished.

"Hope you aren't referring to me." The three turned to see Han Solo with his trademark smirk. He nodded to Leia. "So glad you could come, princess. If you follow me, this way to the  _Falcon._ "

"I think I'll make my way over there, thanks." Leia turned to get a better look at the cars Cassian was showing.

Han cleared his throat. "Fine, fine, you do what you want. Just, how is an—pardon the expression—amateur going to be able to tell when you get there?"

Leia smirked. "I'll just check for signs of entry around the tailpipe." She walked away from him, moving to the next cars. The owners seemed nice, and offered Leia some coffee.

"I thought you didn't care about this stuff," Han said, towering over her. "You're the one who compared it to a cult." That last part he said fairly quietly so as not to startle anyone.

"I never said I didn't care about cars. It's racing and the drivers I could care less for." She sipped her coffee and moved to the next car.

He followed her. "What, do you like this one?" He said, gesturing to the '84 LN Leia was currently admiring.

She nodded. "Your jealousy is misplaced by following me. I think you should be more concerned some prick's ass-cheek touching your girlfriend's precious hood." She moved on, he followed.

"Jealous? I never said I was jealous." His tone was semi-indignant, but also not entirely serious.

"You didn't have to, its written all over you face." By then they had reached the racing cars and Leia asked to see the  _Falcon._

"So now when you get to the good part, you wanna skip ahead?" Han clarified, crossing his arms over his chest. He was wearing the brown suede jacket he had been wearing to Jyn and Cassian's party, along with blue pants and black shoes.

She settled her hands on her hips. "If by 'good part' you mean: utterly uninteresting, then yes. Lead on."

He didn't move, but his face changed, narrowing his eyes and setting his jaw. "You know, I liked you better with a headache."

"Yeah, I bet women get them frequently around you."

Han shook his head and lead her to the far row. He gestured to the rest of the cars, and pointed out the flaws of them. Leia wasn't paying attention, only looking ahead to where it looked like he was taking her. There was a man sitting on the hood of an old, beautiful blue and white car. The sight of which seemed to make Han stop in his tracks.

"Sonuva-" he cried. "Calrissian!" He jogged forward and the man stood up straight.

He smiled at Han, and Leia admitted to herself that he looked much more charming than Han did, who's smirk erred on the side of roguish. This man was pure class and charm, and Leia didn't trust him one bit.

"We had a deal, Lando," Han said. "The  _Falcon_ is mine fair and square."

"It may be yours as in your possession, but I still don't know about 'fair and square,'" the other man, Lando, said. "I mean, do you really need three cars, Solo?"

"Three?" Leia said, incredulously catching up to Han.

Lando looked at her, and he  _really_ looked. Up and down, slowly. She half expected him to check her teeth and ask her to spin around. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at him. "Well, hello, you must be Luke's sister, Leia." His voice was a lot more provocative than it had been towards Han. She wondered how he was able to recognize her, but she chalked it up to family resemblance.

"Shove it, Lando. He has at least 10 cars, Leia," Han said, also scowling.

Lando extended his hand and Leia shook it, reluctantly. "I've heard so much about you."

"As I have you," Leia said. "Han tells me you're selling a Tantive IV."

His eyebrows raised in surprise and he smiled. "As a matter of fact I am, you interested?"

"No, I don't need a car." She tried to use her lawyer voice, firm and unquestioning.

"Everyone needs a car, honey. And maybe not the Tantive, it is a little big. But I've got-"

"She said she doesn't want anything," Han said, pretty aggressively.

"Really, Mr. Calrissian-" Leia began

"Lando, please baby," he corrected

"Lando then, I don't need anything, I'm fine, forget I mentioned it." He shrugged and moved on down the line. It was then that Leia noticed something moving at her feet and she looked down to see one of the biggest, shaggiest dogs she had ever seen sniffing shoe. "Well hello there, who are you?" She asked it, scratching the dog behind his ears.

"That's Chewbacca, Chewie, he's my dog," Han said. "And he's supposed to be guarding the  _Falcons._ "

"He's doing a great job!" Leia insisted, scratching the dog's back and whispering to him to not listen to Han.

Han rolled his eyes and kept an eye on everyone who might come near his cars.

"So  _Falcons_? Plural." Chewie laid back on the grass on his back and she rubbed his belly.

"Yeah."

"Yesterday, it was singular." Leia looked up from the dog to see Han looking at her. She stood up straight and looked over the two cars in front of her. One was clearly much older—hotrod territory—while the other was very modern, but they looked to be the same size, shape, color, and state of wear to Leia.

Han pointed to the older one. "This one is the '63, that I recently…ahem, acquired from Calrissian in a game of cards-"

Her jaw dropped incredulously. "You bet with you cars? Are you stupid?"

"He's the one who bet his car."

She narrowed her eyes. "Something tells me you're not telling me everything. That you wanted him to, didn't you?"

Han balked a little. "That's not important. This one," he pointed to the newer one. "Is the 2010  _Falcon Millennium Edition._ Same style, same everything, all new technology."

She nodded, looking up and down the newer car. "May I ask why the  _Falcon_?"

"There was an old  _Falcon_ plant in Corellia where I grew up. My dad worked there, so did my grandpa. Hell, one of them might've even made this car." His hands were on his hips, and he seemed to not care about telling her pretty private information about his childhood. Or, at least, Leia took it that way.

"Is that why you left? To get away from the factory?" She tried to sound more serious, curious, and thoughtful. She looked at him when she asked.

He didn't look back at her, setting his jaw. "The factory closed when I was 10. I left because my dad skipped town, my ma passed on, and the Damerons were the foster family I was placed with."

Leia was shocked, she'd had no idea. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No, its alright, we're even now. You're not the only person to ever shed a tear, and don't forget that."

She nodded, allowing a pause in the conversation. She looked back to the cars. "How old were you?"

Han shook his head. "Hell, 15? 16? Geez, maybe even 14."

She generally hated when other people talked too much about their lives and the rough parts about them—a standard she held herself to, only revealing personal information when absolutely necessary. But Han's admission was different. It felt as though he was appealing himself to her, and she wanted to let him know she appreciated it. So when she said: "That's about how old I was when Skywalker came into my life," she told herself that it was tit for tat.

"Yeah, that big case, I heard about that. Never understood all the details, though." Leia wasn't sure if that was a hint, but she kept silent. She'd allowed one admittance of trauma slip through the crack in the wall, but she was just as quick to seal it up.

Han pointed at the cars. "Pick one," he told her.

"Huh?" She asked, a little shocked at the subject change.

"Pick one of the  _Falcons_."

She shrugged and pointed to the '63. He seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment before clearing his throat. "When- when are you heading back to the big city?"

Leia did a check in her head. "Two weeks from tomorrow."

Han made a noise. "Plenty of time."

"Plenty of time to do what?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Take you for a ride in the '63." Han talked some about the other race cars, but was interrupted by Leia's phone ringing. It was Luke.

"Leia? Where are you? Aunt Beru is worried sick!" He said. "As am I? Did Han actually take you home last night? If he didn't, I swear-"

She had turned away from Han to talk to Luke. "He did. I'm at the car show behind the Old Temple," Leia said, trying to calm her brother down. "Jyn and Cassian are here too, and Han. You should take Mara up here, it's great, they've got an old X-wing like Uncle Owen's dad had."

Luke was silent for a moment. "Who are you and what have you done with Leia?"

"What's your problem?"

"You're at a car show, the same one your ex-boyfriend and man you were fighting with not 24 hours ago are at. Are you sure you made it home last night?"

"Yes, I'm sure. And you gotta let the past go, Luke. Geez." She felt no shame in throwing her twin's words in his face.

He was silent for a second, probably in rage. "I could kill you right now. Seriously, why are you there?"

"I dunno, Han promised to show me the  _Falcons_ , plus what else am I going to do? I'm not a child."

"I never said you were, just-"

"What Luke?" She was trying not to raise her voice, trying not to start an argument. But Luke could be such a loose canon.

"This is out of character for you, is all I'm saying."

"Blame Mara, she's the one who told me to be nice."

"That's out of character for Mara as well."

Leia chuckled. Luke said he might come over and Leia passed that on to Han.

"He's wondering why you came," Han said, and Leia nodded.

"I'm not sure why I did myself, to be honest."

He leaned against the hood of the  _Millennium._ "I'm telling you, its the allure of the  _Falcon,_ you just couldn't stay away when you knew it was going to be here."

Leia eyed him and the two cars. "No, that's not it," she said with a smirk.

"Excuse me young man, miss," an older man interjected, causing them to turn towards him. "Sorry for interrupting, is that a '63  _Falcon._ "

Leia groaned and Han smiled, leaning against the hood of the  _Millennium._ "You have a good eye and impeccable taste sir, indeed it is a '63, and this is the 2010  _Millennium Edition._ "

Leia walked away before the circle-jerk fest could really get underway, and she made her way over to the motorcycles. Lando followed her and offered to get her one of her own, which she politely decline and not so politely told him to get lost. He seemed impressed at her attitude, but she tried to ignore him. She ran into a friend from college, Enfys Nest, whose mother taught a self-defense classes Leia had taken. They caught up a bit before Han caught up with her again. She was surprised he hadn't just let her go, having already completed his goal of showing her his cars. He greeted Enfys as if he knew her, and Leia raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know each other?" She asked

"I get around, sweetheart." Han had set his hands on his hips and smirked at her.

"He's being modest. Han has helped us out many times, from helping finding goods to be donated to even just letting us stay at his place. We owe him a lot." She knew Enfys was telling the impartial truth because that's who Enfys was. She would only lie by omission, never overtly.

He shrugged. "Should keep you around more often to sing my praises, seeing as my looks are good enough for some people." His comment was so obviously directed at Leia, but she ignored it.

The lunch table was about to open and Leia said goodbye to Enfys to get in line. Han followed her, and Leia commented on him leaving the  _Falcons_  alone.

"Chewie can handle it." She scoffed, but couldn't do much to stop him from following her. Or, at least, she told herself there wasn't much he could do.

They got their lunch provided by the volunteers which consisted of a slightly burnt hotdog with macaroni salad and potato chips. Han was nice of enough to pay for both of theirs, saying something about she shouldn't have to pay because he invited her. Leia took it as insurance that she would eat with him. She followed him back to the  _Falcons_ , where he pulled two folding chairs out and set them up.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say this was a date," Leia said as she sat down.

Han paused for a moment before sitting down. "Well, what does that mean? Who's saying its not?"

Leia shrugged. "Well, no one is saying it is either. Besides, I didn't think I was your type."

"Oh, and what is my type, princess?"

"I dunno, 'easy' is the impression I've gotten."

Han scoffed. "Well, if this were a date, you'd be insulting yourself, sister. Lucky for you, I have better things to do."

Leia laughed a little, hurt somewhat. "Well, then I guess I'll leave, let whomever you have better to take this seat." She got up to leave, calling his bluff.

"That's a fine way to repay me for lunch." His tone was pure sarcasm, and she took it as him calling hers.

She turned back to him. "Do you want me to stay?"

Han shrugged. "You can do whatever you want."

"I want to sit with you for lunch, if you'll have me."

He shrugged again. "I already set up the chair for you."

"What about all the other women clamoring for your time?"

"Well, I guess they'll have to get over it at least for this meal." That was the closest she was going to get to him admitting he wanted her to stay, so she took it.

She took her coat off and laid it over the chair before sitting back down, smirking. They were silent as they ate, glancing at each other out of the corner's of their eyes. They discussed their jobs. Han spoke about his winnings and sponsorships. Leia told him about her job and all the paperwork she had to do.

"See, that's where you went wrong, princess," he said, slouching in his chair.

"What, with the paperwork?"

"Sitting in an office, taking a lunch break." He said them flippantly, as if they were crimes to her soul and not parts of her routine. The same routine that ensured she would wake up the next day.

"As opposed to what? You?" What did Han do on a daily basis? Wake up at noon, work on his car? To Leia, this supposed life seemed shiftless and devoid of meaning.

"I'm free, sister." His smile wasn't the self-righteous one he always wore, but the one of a man who'd found his calling in life.

Leia scoffed. "Call me back when you're 50."

"It's a date." That smile  _(the smile_ ) was back and Leia felt her face turn hot.

They were soon joined by Luke and Mara. Luke was in awe of the '63 and begged Han to let him drive it after the wedding.

"Forget it, kid. You're lucky I'm letting you get this close." He accepted Leia's empty paper plate from her hand—even though she hadn't offered it to him—stacking it on his own.

"I'd wouldn't want to get in that thing anyway." Mara stared at the car, shaking her head. "Looks like a death trap."

Leia bit back a laugh as Han sat forward. "Well you're definitely not getting in it, sister."

"Leia, don't you agree. It looks like the door would fall off and crush you just trying to get in."

"Don't bring me into this, Mara." Leia tried not to make eye contact with her, preferring to look at her chair.

"Figures you would side with him, you two have been thick as thieves since we got to Jabba's."

"Well, you two are over there, coupling—pardon the term—and what am I going to do? Milk the horses for Uncle Owen?" Leia shrugged. "This is my vacation, and I've always liked car shows. Mom and Dad used to take me all the time. Nearly every weekend for one year, I think."

Mara was intrigued, asking about what they did, what they saw. Leia spoke in length about the different cars and models and shows. For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel like she was hurting anyone. Whenever she referred to the Organas as her parents, she almost always felt as though she were alienating Luke, or Skywalker. And what with the latter's death so recent, the pain and bitterness of the last ten years had come back to her. That day, that moment, she felt at home, for the first time in a long time. She felt like she was surrounded by people who cared about her, almost like a family.

Around 5, everyone started to pack up and go home, but the group wasn't ready to call it a night. They resolved to go to Mara and Luke's house, and invited Cassian and Jyn whenever they were done packing up for the night.

"Need a ride?" Han asked, leaning on the '63 in what he probably thought was an inviting manner.

Leia laughed. "I've got my car here, thanks though. I'll see you there." She scratched her head awkwardly and looked down. "Thanks for inviting me to this, I had a lot of fun today. More fun than I've had in a while."

"Don't mention it, sweetheart. Anytime." He turned to get into the '63.

"Don't think you're getting off easy, you still promised me that ride." Leia reminded him.

He looked over his shoulder. His smirk was back. "Yes, ma'am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why are they like this? Why am I like this?  
> [Edit] Quick note that I forgot in original posting: there are two Falcons. Part of the idea for the Falcon as a cool, older car came from pretty much any modern au with Han in it, but the specific one for me is queenofdebate's fic "building policy" which I love and inspired me not-so-directly to write this. (Please check it out, its so much better than this fic.) So I wanted Han to have the Falcon as a racing car, but I also wanted it to be old and cool. But it didn't make sense to me that he would have an old car as his racing car, I don't know. But then I had this idea that his car is like a redesigned/new version of the classic car he loves. And then that one could be the Millennium edition and yeah! It seemed like a cool idea, but if you don't like the idea of the two Falcons, from this point on, only the older one (the "real" one, if you will) plays a major role so you can pretend.  
> I also came up with the ideas for cars from ship names from the original series. Also the idea that Han's dad worked on the Falcon came from Solo, so fight me. Thanks a bunch.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her approach to the path set before her had always been to follow it, never straying. Never really even considering going any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to make an apology for all the car sex allusions, I personally blame the H3H3 video "In Love with a Car." I think I had originally had another one in this chapter, but it was cut in an earlier draft.  
> Speaking of drafting, shout out to one of my best friends a-good-bit-of-magic for agreeing to be my beta. You guys may notice a change in the quality after this fic, and that's because of her. She's awesome, I love her.

"So, what is Kessel Run?" Leia and Han were sitting on Mara and Luke's kitchen floor, the excuse of getting drinks long abandoned. Luke had chosen an art film he and Mara liked, but one that Leia thought was stupid at best. After commentating on the first ten minutes, Luke shushed her. She knew her twin well enough to not push her antics, and excused herself. Han had followed soon after, and they'd begun to talk, eventually sitting on the ground.

"Why don't you tell me? You're the expert, with all those documents." Han was sitting against the oven, his arms dangling over his knees.

Leia rolled her eyes. "I suppose I deserve that, but that girl didn't deserve to be hit on. She was just getting punch." Leia was sitting cross-legged against a cabinet across from him.

He smirked. "Who says I was hitting on her?"

"What, you weren't?"

"I didn't say I wasn't."

"Didn't say you were."

Han shrugged. "Maybe I had other ideas, not every person has black and white motives."

Leia groaned. "Is that supposed to be some dig at me? You could do better."

"Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't."

Leia crossed her arms. "Fine, don't tell me, google suits me. Once again, technology swoops in to help the woman where the man could not." She pulled out her phone.

Han opened his mouth in muted shock, and leaned forwards, lowering his voice. "You don't know anything about what you're talking about, sister."

"Maybe I don't, maybe I do. Not everything is black and white." She didn't look up from her search

Han made no comment and sat back against the oven. She didn’t look up to see, but she felt like he was smirking again. Or maybe not. He was so funny about the way he acted towards her teasing sometimes. People usually either took her too seriously or not at all. Han was an outlier, an enigma. Leia didn’t like it.

"It's a mountain pass." She looked up from her search finally with the information he already possessed.

"Correct." His face was blank. He followed his affirmation with nothing, so Leia scrolled further down.

"And there's an annual competition where they see who's the- fastest? That can't be right. Your record is in parsecs. That's a-"

"Measurement of distance." Han finished, sitting up straight. Leia sat back and set the phone down, content to let him tell his perspective. "See, the pass has all sorts of trails and pathways, there is no straight shot. The competition started back during prohibition with the bootleggers-"

"Smugglers," she commented.

"Whatever you like, princess. They started with time, but people were tieing so much because there is no good way to get out of those mountains." Han was elated, his eyes were bright and his hand motions animated. Leia had never seen him like this.

"So they changed to distance."

Han winked at her. "You got it. Clear winner almost every time."

"How do they calculate the distance?"

He waved his hand around to indicate unsurity. "They used to have scouts on the top of all the mountains who would mark down every car they saw. That information was then given to the judges who made a rough path of travel for every car. But that was dangerous and included a lot of volunteers. Now they chip the cars like in a marathon."

"And you hold the current record." Leia commented, hoping the awe in her voice wasn't as obvious to him as to her own ears.

"Probably the last one to, if I do say so myself."

She was taken aback for a second. "That's a pretty bold thing to say, even for you."

He squared his jaw, but smiled. "I don't mean because of my talents, you didn't let me finish." She scoffed. "I'd been in the race a few times before. But this last time, I found a shortcut. It was very dangerous, damn near fell the mountain a few times. It was so bad, even, that I caused a rockslide, basically destroying the path behind me." He had settled down now, and was reminiscing. "I'm lucky I got out of there. I was commended for my 'creative thinking' before they banned me."

Her eyebrows shot up. "You were banned?"

"From the race, they still invite me nearly every year to crown the winner." He rolled his eyes.

She was a little mad. It seemed a little backwards to ban Han for doing what the contest was designed for. "What was their reason for banning you?"

He chuckled. "I can see those lawyer gears turning in your head, princess. Forget it, I'm sure it was for insurance reasons. They haven't had a death since 1978 and are damn proud of it. They won't take me back, and I'd rather not go to court over it. I'm done with that race anyway, trying to find pathways between rocks. In my old age I much prefer the course to be laid out, right in front of me."

She scoffed at "old age." "How old are you?"

"33. I know it’s not polite to ask a lady, but…" He trailed off.

"I'm 25."

He laid his head back against the oven. "I remember being 25, thought the world owed me something. Life was good."

"Lucky you." Leia kept her eyes on the tile.

"C'mon now, princess. What do you have to complain about?"

She sighed. "Nothing, absolutely nothing. Good job, roof over my head…shitty family situation."

They were silent for a second, and Leia knew that was the wrong thing to say. Why did she have to say that? The two of them were having such a good time, and she'd ruined it by talking about the past.

"May I ask, and if it’s too painful, by all means stop me, but, your parents, the Organas, it was that protest, right? Four years ago?" Han said. There was not a hint of joking or teasing in his voice or face—only concern and curiosity.

Leia nodded somberly. "The actual worst day of my life. Dad was excited to go, they made a sign and everything." She looked up to the light in the ceiling, willing herself to only recall the memory, not the emotions associated with it. "It was almost 2 pm, I'd tried to get closer to get a picture of the speaker, so I was separated from them. I heard a car engine, and screaming, and…" She trailed off, willing the tears away with a breath and the stretch of her eyelids. "Mom and dad weren't the only ones, there were six others injured, two of them died." She struggled to keep her voice steady.

"They caught the guy, right?"

She nodded again. "He had a bomb big enough to kill us all in his car, but it was faulty and didn't go off. I'm lucky I got out of there."

"Fuck, that's heavy."

"He was an adamant Imperialist. He had a copy of my father's book 'The Teachings of Plagueis the Wise' in the car with him." Han said nothing, and there was a moment of silence between them. She moved to stand, not content with letting those memories poison her waking moments. She felt like a spell had been broken, and was lightheaded all of a sudden. "Sorry to spoil your night with talk about my family." She didn't look at him. It wasn't until she felt his hand on her arm that she realized how close he was.

"Don't go retreating into your shell when it took so much to get you out of it.” He didn’t look like he was joking or making light of her pain, he looked like he was serious.

"To be out is to be vulnerable." She looked away.

He took a step back, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Sometimes we follow the path set for us, and that isn't always a bad thing. Like I said, I'm getting old. But if we always stay on that path, we might never grow, or change. And we might fuck up, and pick the wrong path, but at least we tried, you know? At least we eliminated that possibility." He shrugged. "Maybe that doesn't make any sense, I don't know. Look, you've had some really bad things happen to you. I have too. We can't change what happened, we can only go forwards."

"You sound like my brother." Leia leaned against the counter, still not meeting his eyes.

"Well, sometimes his kooky advice makes sense."

"Is that in your speech?" She looked up and him, and he cracked a slow smile.

"No, it's not, but I should put it in. Right between my embarrassing story and well wishes." The mood was lighter between them, and Leia smiled.

"What's the story? Please tell me."

"You'll find out when everyone else does, sweetheart." He headed in the direction of the living room, and she followed.

"I bet I can tell you 10 stories that are worse, whatever it is."

"You can tell me after, we can swap stories."

"It's a date."

* * *

 

 Mara had opted for the less traditional bright blue wedding dress, and Leia had already asked if that meant she could wear white. Mara hadn't dignified that question with an answer, but her look said enough. Leia, Jyn, and Aunt Beru had all come with Mara for her final fitting. Aunt Beru was now roaming the racks, looking for any good deals while Leia and Jyn merely acted as spectators.

"What color's your dress Jyn?" Leia asked while waiting for Mara to change.

"A dark blue." Jyn pulled out her phone to show Leia a picture. It was a bit blurry. "Cassian took it," she explained. "He's not very good at taking pictures."

Leia nodded in understanding.

"What color's yours?"

"Well, I almost always wear white to special occasions. But seeing as it's not _my_ special occasion, I'd opted for more of a tan."

"Tan? You mean brown?" Jyn repeated. "You can't wear brown to a wedding."

"It's not brown, its tan. And why not?" Leia was a bit offended, she wasn’t used to people critiquing her outfits.

Jyn shrugged. "I dunno, brown's more of a fall 'meeting the parents or the coworkers' color, don't you think? You're brother's getting married, you should wear something cheery."

"Like what?"

"Well, we're in a dress shop. Let's go look." Before Leia could say anything, Jyn was already up and heading over to the racks. Leia followed.

"Oh, bored already you two?" Aunt Beru asked. She was looking at mother of the bride dresses.

"Leia doesn't have a dress for the wedding," Jyn commented.

"I do too." Leia was indignant as Jyn looked through the racks.

"It's brown."

"Oh, you can't wear brown to your brother's wedding." Beru looked just as surprised as Jyn did.

"It's a nice light tan."

"Tan is a type of brown. You can't wear brown." Jyn held up a red dress to Leia and then put it back on the rack. "Too eye catching."

"What about this?" Aunt Beru held a burgundy dress up but Jyn shook her head.

"It's long sleeve, she'll boil out in the sun."

They picked out several for her, and shoved her into a dressing room. One after the other they rejected their own choosing. Leia was nearing her limit with playing dress up when Mara rounded the corner.

"What's going on?" She was wearing her wedding dress, seemingly confused that the people she had brought with her were gone.

"Oh, don't you look lovely!" Aunt Beru gushed.

"You look really good, Mara."

"My brother doesn't deserve you."

Mara turned on Leia and sized her up. "What, is this for fun or did you forget to bring a dress?"

"She may as well have forgotten," Jyn said.

"What? What does that mean?"

"My dress was too close to Jyn's, so I'm picking another one. I hope that's alright."

"Well of course, you should go with that one, it suits you."

Leia turned and looked in the mirror in the gold dress. It was shorter than what she would've picked, but still modest enough for her liking.

"I agree," Jyn said.

"As do I," Aunt Beru piped in. "You both look lovely, everyone looks lovely."

Mara left to take the dress off and Leia also changed.

"Wear the brown to the rehearsal dinner," Jyn said when Leia came out.

"I'd forgotten about the rehearsal dinner." Leia walked up to the register to pay.

"You didn't forget about the party, I hope." Mara and Luke had decided on a combined bachelor/ette party at their place where they were all going to get drunk and play games.

"Of course not."

"I'm not sure how I feel about the combined aspect. I'd rather have my own party, but I don't know if Cassian would like what his friends would pick for him."

"He doesn't seem the stripper type, to be honest." Leia laughed to herself, and Jyn cocked her head in curiosity. "Are you just farming this wedding for ideas for your own?"

Jyn shrugged. "Honestly, yeah. We haven't picked a date or done anything remotely like planning, but this is at least given me some insight, if nothing else."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mara and Luke had not been looking forwards to their party, and if Leia could've predicted the future, she wouldn't have either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter earns its fucking rating, bitches. That is, there is smut in this chapter after the line break. Proceed with caution.
> 
> Thank you again to my good friend a-good-bit-of-magic for being my beta (and a great friend).

It was a week to the wedding. Everyone Leia had ever known from college and high school was at Mara and Luke's residence. She hadn't attended a ton of parties in college, but this was already bigger and wilder than she'd ever seen. But that wasn't difficult. The wildest party she'd been to was in law school: a guy passed out and people had drawn on his face, some girl had cheated at that party, breaking up a 5 year relationship. There had maybe been 20-25 people in total attendance.

Mara and Luke were not stripper people, and had opted to have a combined bachelor/ette party. Neither of them seemed too excited to potentially be embarrassed in front of their peers, but did it after so many people asked what they were doing. Leia was under the impression that because of their squeamishness, people were going to act that much raunchier. Guests had brought obscene posters and games on top of gag gifts. Leia was waiting for the stripper to come in uninvited, and decided she would leave at that point. Two of her three vacation weeks had passed her by, and she was dreading the last one. Had things gone according to plan--had Skywalker not ruined everything once again--her plane would have landed that morning. Maybe she would've been excited to be here instead of being in a funk after spending the day staring at the wall in Luke's old bedroom, browsing Twitter in between existential crises.

She was already a little tipsy and planning on at least getting mildly drunk. Jyn and Cassian were nowhere to be seen and Mara and Luke were opening the gag gifts in the living room. That left Leia on the stairs, not really in the living room, nor out. Most people left her alone, but Han Solo wasn't most people.

"This seat taken?" He asked as he sat down on the step below her. He was wearing a blue button-up plaid shirt with short sleeves over a white t-shirt and jeans. He looked good in a rugged sort of way. As he always did.

"Now it is," she said, looking up at him.

He took a look at her, assessing her current state. "You drunk, sweetheart?"

"Not yet." She smiled at him, a wide smile. Her usual inhibitions weren't working, but she didn't feel out of control...yet. "Say, what's with the nicknames, cowboy?"

He laughed. "Easier than remembering real names."

Her face fell. "You don't know my name?" She was more than a little hurt by his comment, joking or not.

"Of course I do. Lily was it? Or Lorelei." She got up to move, but was stopped by his hand on her wrist. "I'm joking, Leia. I know your name."

She sat back down. "Not funny."

"Man, don't tell me you're a mean drunk."

"Of course I'm a mean drunk. I get drunk and I mean it." He laughed pretty hard at that one.

They watched the party unfold, people laughed and drank. Music was playing and it was generally a great vibe.

"Did you help plan tonight?" she asked him, and he shook his head.

"Nah, this has to be the easiest best man gig in the history of weddings. Luke is so low maintenance, its almost infuriating." He settled onto the step. "I only had to write a speech and buy a vest."

"And show up." He pointed at her and nodded.

"I won't forget that, I promise you. Write a speech, buy a vest, and show up. Two down, one to go." They toasted to that and drank. The scene in front of them continued to unfold.

"How did you get into the racing scene?" Leia asked after Mara threw the edible underwear she'd received from a guest at their face.

Han chuckled at Mara and bit his lip in thought. "I'd picked up odd jobs in and after high school, a lot of mechanic work. I honestly can't remember not wanting to be a driver, but...it took a while before I finally got behind a wheel. And even when I did, it was rough. And it wasn't always legal. I lost a lot of races, a lot of money, and nearly hung up my career at the ripe age of 25."

Leia raised her eyebrows. "Really. What changed your mind?"

Han smirked. "Kessel Run. That win launched my career. All of a sudden I was turning away sponsorships 'stead of begging for them. I was able to get the _Millenium Falcon,_ the first real racing car I’d ever owned. No longer had to borrow from Lando or some other racer, I had my own car. I had my own life." He was in his own world then, looking out at the party, but lost in his own memory. "Even if things crash and burn, literally or figuratively, I had that moment, you know? That moment of doing exactly what I wanted to do."

"That's inspiring." Leia nodded. "I'm afraid my own career isn't nearly as satisfying as that."

He laughed, and she smiled. "You'll get there, sweetheart. We've both still got a lotta livin’ to do." They sat in silence for a moment, drinking. "So what made you want to be a lawyer?" He asked as Luke puffed up an inflatable penis.

Leia laughed at the scene in front of her. "Sorta like you, I think I always wanted to be a lawyer. But it wasn't until _the Ruling_ that I understood exactly."

"The case you and you brother were in." Han clarified.

"Yeah, Luke told you about it, right?" Leia took another sip of her drink. Who’d’ve thought alcohol was the answer to not thinking about painful memories.

"I'd heard about it. It was all over the news when it happened. Luke's told me some details, but-"

Leia huffed, feeling in a very overshare-y mood. "Well, what do you know, what do you wanna know?"

Han seemed surprised she wanted to talk about it, but continued. "I know your father wanted custody, and you and Luke were reunited, but not much else."

She gathered her words carefully, even in her slightly drunk state. "We weren't just reunited, our entire world view was shattered." Leia took another drink. "We both knew that mom—our biological mother—died due to complications with childbirth, and that dad wasn't around."

"But neglected to tell you who he was?" Han was sitting a step lower, leaning next to her onto the step she was sitting.

She nodded. "What he was and about each other."

Han looked thoughtful. "Wait, you didn't even know about-? You thought you were an only child-"

"Until my 16th birthday, yeah. That's when they told us."

Han was shocked, and Leia couldn't blame him. No one seemed to want to remember that detail, that they had both been lied to by the people they trusted the most.

"Why didn't they tell you?"

"'It was simpler that way.'" Leia quoted her own father, Bail, on that one. "They claimed they were going to tell us when we turned 18, but…"

Han scoffed. "Was that what they told you to make you feel better?"

She nodded and fingered the sleeve of her jacket, neither of them spoke. "Imagine receiving news like that. If you absolutely _have_ to, you would hope that your parents would sit you down nice and calmly, and tell you the whole story when you're ready to handle it. Definitely not when you receive a subpoena for your DNA."

Han's jaw dropped. "A _subpoena_? How did they let it get that far before telling you?"

"The record for Luke and mine's adoption was supposed to be sealed until we turned 18. I don't know how Skywalker found where we were, but the court needed to prove paternity in order to even consider opening the file. They—my parents and the Lars'—had argued that since there was no father listed on our birth certificates, there was no grounds to examine the file. The judge disagreed, he wanted to be thorough." Her eyes itched and she scratched them, her fingers coming up wet. She was crying. "We lived in the same town, Han. Opposite sides of a picket fence. I could've walked by him on the street, and I probably would've made fun of his clothing to my friends. My parents, I loved them so much. I could care less about paternity, the Organas were my parents. But they didn't tell me I had a brother, a twin! We shared a womb and they separated us. I love Luke so much, he's everything to me." She was on the verge of blubbering now, the tears streaming down her face.

Han sat up a step and wrapped an arm around her, handing her a napkin. She blew her nose. Damn, she'd thought this trauma had been long-since buried.

"He ruined my life, Han. First driving my mother away so she died alone, then being such a fuck up, that Luke and I had to be separated, then dragging us through the courts for what reason? The judge ruled against him, but allowed visitation. Luke even lived with him for like 6 months. Then, as if all this wasn't enough, he caused the death of my parents." She blew her nose again, and wiped her eyes on her sleeves. She tried to compose herself, failing miserably. The words kept pouring out of her. "And don't give me that 'He changed, he wrote a book.' It doesn't matter. If he hadn't been such a- such a fucking bastard, we could've been a family, we could've been happy."

Up until this point Han had been silent, only keeping his arm around her. Everyone had crowded around Luke and Mara with their backs to Leia and Han. No one had seen her break down but him. He pulled her into his chest for a tender embrace, he rubbed her back as she sobbed into his chest. After a minute or so, she was finally able to compose herself (as well as she could) and pulled away, reaching for the drink she'd sat down.

"I think you've had enough." Han took the cup from her, setting it down by the stairs.

She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and blew her nose on the almost disintegrated napkin. "Sorry to ruin your night with my problems, again." The shame was hitting her hard. This was why she didn't overshare. This is why she didn't go to parties and drink. This was why she never went back home.

"Do you always apologize after admitting your problems?" He took his arm out from around her.

"What else are you supposed to say after baring your soul to someone?" She'd felt she'd offended him somehow when he moved away from her. In that moment, she only wanted comfort.

Han stood up and she immediately felt the lack of his warmth next to her. She looked up, certain her makeup—which she had put on painstakingly in Luke's old bathroom—was a mess. "I'm not sure. Wanna take a ride?"

She blinked at him. "In the _Falcon_?"

He nodded. "I told you, I owe you. You're leaving in a week, right?" He stretched out his hand to her.

She nodded and took his hand. He pulled her up and they slipped out the front door.

* * *

 

_You need more scoundrels in your life_ , he had said. Right before he'd kissed her. He had taken her for a drive along the backroads of Naboo county, almost driving an hour until they didn't see any sign of civilization. Leia felt as though they had landed on a different planet, there was so much wild around her. He had zipped and zoomed, before they finally settled within spitting distance of the the suburbs. That was when she told him he was a pretty good driver.

"For a scoundrel," she qualified. She'd sobered up some, but her stupor had turned to a more pleasant buzz. The drive had been more exciting than she had thought it would be.

He'd leaned over to her seat and stared directly into her eyes, that smirk of his as prominent as ever. Her skin had never felt hotter. "You need more scoundrels in your life." Then he'd kissed her, deeply, passionately.

His tongue slipped between her lips and she ran her hands through his hair. His hands pulled her jacket off, feeling the bare skin of her arms and shoulders, slipping around her waist to pull her as tight as the confines of the car would allow. At this point, she was seriously thinking about the logistics of the front seat, the back seat…the ground outside even, when they broke apart. His eyes looked as bright and wild as she felt, and she was wondering if he meant multiple contexts of this "ride." But he turned to start the car and sped off before she could think too hard about that.

His house was small, big enough for two people maybe, with a three-car garage. She could see the lights from the city in the distance, but not too close to be intrusive. She felt as though she were in a dream. He led her inside. She barely got a look at his home—which screamed "bachelor" to her—before he was leading her to his bedroom. He kicked Chewie off the bed, and put him outside.

She sat on his bed, looking over her shoulder at him, having already taken off her jacket. The door shut with a click and she felt the tension in the room change. This was happening. He sauntered over to her slowly, taking off his plaid shirt and letting it fall to the floor. He kneeled down in front of her, parting her legs to sit between them, nose to nose with her. His breath was hot on her face as he leaned in to kiss her cheek, her jaw, and finally her lips. Her heart pounded in her chest as she pulled on his t-shirt to pull it off. They parted to let the garment pass, and Han moved to her neck, kissing down and over her collar bone. She took in a small breath as she felt his fingers creep up her legs under her floral dress to pull down her panties. Up until then his touches had been chaste. He moved back up to kiss her mouth as he rubbed the outline of her labia and moved deeper with each stroke slowly. Too slowly.

"Force, Han, are you going to keep being a tease or are you going to-" She demanded, hornier than ever. But before she could finish he dipped his head down, in between her legs. She gasped and moaned as he licked and sucked his way around her clit before tongue-fucking her. She barely registered that she was pulling on his hair extremely hard as she approached her orgasm. He introduced his fingers back into the equation, leaving her a wet mess. "R- right there, y- oh!" She came without making much of a sound as she fell back onto the bed. She felt him wipe his mouth on the hem of her dress, his breathing heavy.

"How's that for teasing, sweetheart?" She could hear his indignant smirk in his voice.

She sat back up, pulling her dress over her head and dropping it next to him. "I swear to the force, Han. If you don't put your dick inside me, what was the point of all of this?"

He stood, undoing his belt, and letting his pants fall. "So much for being coy, princess." He moved forwards to kiss her, laying her back against the bed.

He seemed content to rub against her for a while, and Leia was not. She shoved at his shoulder and he broke apart, taking a big breath in.

“You wanna- (huff) stop?” he asked. “I can t-”  
She pushed him over and onto his back, throwing her leg over him and straddling his middle. He settled his hands on her hips. His eyes were wide as she placed open mouthed kisses onto his collar-bone. She discarded their remaining clothing, and he’d pulled out a condom. She rolled it over, and settled herself overtop of him. She was still very slick from his meal earlier, and she slid him inside with ease. They both took a breath, eyes locked onto each other.

“Satisfied?” he asked.

She made no reply, only rolled her hips, eliciting a moan from both of them. She did it again, and again, finding a rhythm. He held onto her hips like he was holding onto a lifeline, bucking up into her. She stopped moving her own hips, preferring his movements to her own. She threw her head back, moaning and palming her breasts.

“Force, Leia, fuck.” He pushed her back onto her side and she moved onto her back. He wasted no time settling back on top and inside her, she wrapped her legs around his waist. He buried his face in her neck, suckling on her earlobe as he found his same rhythm again. She hissed and moaned as he found that spot inside her, hitting it again and again. His hips were stuttering now, but had more force behind them and she cried out each time his hips met her’s.

“R- right- there- right!” She squeaked and felt the sensation wash over her once again. His movements stopped with a single, powerful thrust shortly after and he heaved one last cry into her hair.

Hours—days it felt like—later, Leia was lying awake in the darkness of his bedroom. His arm was slung across her bare stomach, and he was sleeping soundly. He snored, she'd discovered, but that wasn't what kept her awake.

This was wrong, so wrong. How hard had she worked to get herself out of Naboo? Only to end up back in. Force, she'd told him about her father. She'd _cried_ on him about her father. How pathetic was she?

A scratching at the door finally made her get out of bed. She passed over his t-shirts for the jacket she'd worn at the party, pressing it to her chest so that the important parts were covered—at least from the front. She opened the door and let Chewie in, delighting in the serenity of Han's backyard illuminated by the waxing moon. It looked as though he hadn't mowed it since the start of summer. There were old pieces of junk sitting in the tall grass, but there were also terra-cotta pots making up a small garden.

She closed the door and sighed, looking back to the bed to see that Chewie had taken the spot she had previously occupied. She took this as her sign to leave, and started pulling together her outfit from the party. It wasn't easy hunting around in the dark, but she'd eventually recovered all but her bra. She faintly remembered being on top of him in nothing but her underwear, and he'd made some snarky comment about whether he should leave his socks on if she was going to wear her bra. In hindsight, it was definitely a line to get her to strip, but it had felt good in the moment to fling the garment across the room. Force, how much of what he'd said had been lines? " _You need more scoundrels in your life_ ", " _don't go retreating into your shell when it took so much to get you out of it_ ", " _I have better things to do_." Well, now, he would have time to do anything, except her.

She abandoned the bra as a lost cause, let him proclaim her as a conquest if he chose. She looked back over at him on the bed one last time and wondered if he'd mistake Chewie for her in a morning haze. Her phone buzzed as she walked out the door to her Uber. It was Jyn.

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/165323173@N02/41110169810/in/dateposted-public/)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my first time embedding a picture on Ao3, it looks good on my end, but please let me know if it's not working.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How to confront someone at a wedding, and other generally frowned upon behavior.

Avoiding Han varied in difficulty according to the situation and day. Monday meant the receiving of all the materials for the wedding and taking inventory. Tuesday was left to get everything they'd missed from the day before. She hadn’t seen him either of those days. Wednesday was the first day of set up, and she made every flimsy excuse in the book to stay away from him. He was only at the Thursday morning set up as he had a race later that night, and left after 11 am. Leia merely went into town after she'd "realized she'd forgotten her wedding present."

It was at the rehearsal dinner where he'd finally cornered her. She tried her best to not make eye contact with him. Even at the dinner, she didn't want to make a scene and ruin anything for Mara and Luke. He offered her champagne and she knew she had nowhere left to run.

"You know, if it was that bad, you could've just said so rather than avoiding me." It was a joke, but he hadn't said it in his usual "sith-may-care" attitude. It sounded more desperate, hurt.

"How was your race?" She took a small sip of the champagne.

He nodded. "Good, I won."

"Good."

"Now that we've gone through with the pleasantries, perhaps you can tell me why you left me without saying goodbye and have been avoiding me ever since." He turned his back to the rest of the party, shielding her from their vision. She was sure it was to keep whatever scuffle was about to unfold away from prying eyes, but she felt more like she was caught in a trap.

"I can't do this." She didn't look at him, only kept her eyes on the ground.

"Well you're going to have to, because I want some kind of answer."

"That is my answer. I can't do this, I can't have a relationship with you."

"Whoa, whoa, we never discussed a relationship. It doesn't have to be-" He sounded like he was trying to placate the situation, but his tone did little to settle down what she'd been bottling up for so long.

She looked at him with a snap, cutting him short. "'Doesn't have to be-' what, Han? Serious?"

"Well, no, not if you don't want it to be."

"Why, like all your other prospects?"

"Pr- Leia, what are you talking about?"

Her emotions were a train with no brakes: there was no stopping 'til she crashed. "Every time I do anything with you, everyone is worried about what you'll do to me. 'Make sure she gets home', 'Are you sure he brought you home?', 'What's going on in here?' And I finally know why."

He rolled his eyes, infuriating her. "Why?"

"Because you can't keep it in your pants, and everyone was trying so hard to not let me be the latest victim." Their words were emphatic, but still whispers. Leia was far from caring at this point, however.

"And just who is this 'everyone'?"

"Luke, Mara, Jyn, Cassian, even my Uncle noticed how you were prowling for me."

"'Prowling?' Now you wait just a moment. Have you considered that maybe it was because you have been borderline psychotic the entire time you've been here and no one wanted you to do something you would regret?"

Her jaw had dropped in shock. "'Borderline psychotic?' How dare-"

"Please, sister, everyone has been walking on glass around you since your plane touched down."

"Fine!" She was a little too loud, but then quietened down. "Maybe I am psychotic, maybe I am emotionally distant, and even crazy. But for good reason. This town has held nothing but heartache for me, and I have done everything I could to cut every single tie to this godforsaken place. So if you think you can just waltz into my life and bring me back after all I did to get away, you are sorely mistaken!"

They stood across from each other, their faces both red and chests heaving.

"You guys, what's going on? Are you fighting again?" It was Mara, she looked between the two of them. "You guys were getting on so well, what happened?"

Leia turned away from him, willing herself to breathe and calm down.

"I 'spose the two of us just can't not fight, Mara. Sorry." He walked away.

"What happened, Leia?" Mara put her arm around her and Leia shook her head, doing her best to smile.

"Just a little spat, nothing big. Sorry to worry you." There was no reason that Mara's night should be ruined for her sake.

"Looked more than 'a little spat' to me."

"All this wedding stuff is just getting to me, you know. He caught me off guard and I snapped at him, but I'll be fine. I feel better already." Surprisingly she was feeling better, if a little emotionally exhausted. She considered talking about her feelings more often

Mara looked suspicious. "Ok, you think they'll be any further problems?"

"Shouldn't be."

"Ok." She tapped Leia's flute. "Looks like you're out, let's get you some more."

"Maybe I should go easy." She didn't want a repeat of last Saturday night

"C'mon, it's my last chance to get my boyfriend's lawyer sister drunk, indulge me a little." Mara dragged her back to the bar and refilled her glass herself. "A toast to you, dear sister." She raised her own glass, as did Leia. "May you find as much happiness as I have wherever your path leads you." They knocked their glasses together and drank. Leia glanced over at Han while she lowered her glass, his back was to her as he joked with Luke and Cassian.

* * *

 The wedding was beautiful. Perfect weather, the right amount of length for the ceremony, no wardrobe malfunctions, no one got cold feet. Jyn looked beautiful, Aunt Beru cried (even Uncle Owen had some tears in his eyes), and after he'd walked her to her seat, Leia hugged her brother so tightly she'd thought he would burst.

She hated to admit it, but Han looked really good too. He wore a sports jacket with a dark blue vest to match Jyn's dress, a yellow tie, and a white carnation pinned to his lapel. He had the rings, and stood with pride next to Luke, never even glancing at her.

They'd stood next to each other at pictures before the wedding, and only spoke two words to her: a curt "hello" and "yes" in response to Jyn's question if he liked Leia's dress. She was hurt by his tone, but knew she deserved it. She'd hoped he would at least cheer up at the reception.

Mara and Luke took some more pictures before the reception began, but before they sat down, Mara approached Leia with a request.

"I know this is extremely last minute, but would you mind saying just a few words? Jyn is really nervous, and I think it would calm her down if she didn't have to go first." Leia was touched that Mara would ask.

As the guests sat down, she took the stage (in a more literal sense) and the mic.

"Hello? Hello, can you hear me?" There was an affirmation from the crowd of party guests. "Hi, everyone. I'm Leia, Luke's sister, and I was asked to say a few words." She paused for a second, collecting the right words. "My brother and I, we didn't have a normal upbringing. Most siblings are forced upon each other at birth, whether they like it or not. But not Luke and I. We…became—for lack of a better term—siblings in our teens, and that allowed us, I think, to become closer, somehow. Unlike most siblings, we chose to be brother and sister." She paused, sniffled a little, and wiped her eye. She would not cry. "And now, I couldn't ever imagine my life without him. And Mara, I love you. You are the sister I never had. My brother doesn't deserve you, but I'd like to welcome you to our family." She took another pause for a breath, the danger had passed, she hoped. "We're really small, and far from being perfect, but I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we are so glad you are here now." She wiped her eye again and raised her glass of champagne, toasting to the bride and groom.

Jyn went next without much of a hitch, giving a very lovely speech about growing up in the foster system with Mara. And how they'd moved to Naboo together and found happiness. Everyone was crying after her speech, and Leia gave her a thumbs up as she sat down. Next was Uncle Owen, who gave a speech about how much Luke had grown, and how much love was in his heart. Lastly was Han. Up until then, he hadn't really looked up except to toast. He left his jacket on his chair when he stood to make his speech.

Han's embarrassing story was about once when Luke had mistaken dog tracks for cougar. He had spent days camped on the edge of Han's property trying to catch a glimpse of the big cat only to be scared by Chewie, who had probably been the one to leave the tracks in the first place. Everyone chuckled, including Leia. He toasted the newlyweds and sat back down. The food was served, a picture of the bridal table was snapped, and Han left immediately after—presumably to go get a drink. By the time the first dance started, it was clear that Han wasn't coming back. She didn't blame him, particularly. Luke didn't seem to notice and Han had fulfilled all his duties as best man. Though, he had left his jacket behind.

She danced with Luke and Mara and Jyn and even Cassian. By then she was ready to call it a night. She had an early flight the next day and was expected to be back to work on Monday.

Leia overheard Cassian talking to Jyn about Han standing at the bar, looking upset. She picked up his jacket and headed over. He was indeed there, standing hunched over, a half empty glass in front of him.

"What're you having?" She asked, coming up beside him, laying his jacket between the two of them.

He looked at the jacket and pulled it closer to himself. "Whiskey." There was no emotion in his voice.

"Can I join you?"

"Free country."

She got a glass of wine and stood in silence next to him.

"Han, can I apologize for yesterday? I said some things-"

"You meant every word of it, princess, and don't pretend you didn't."

She pursed her lips and looked down. "Well, I didn't mean to lump you in with the trauma my family has caused me. For that, I am sorry. It's not fair to you. If you like this town, great, more power to you. But I just-"

"I don't like this town." He tossed back the last of his drink.

"What?"

"You heard me, Naboo can take it or leave it. There's nothing special about it to me." He rubbed his eyes as if to purge the bad thoughts from them.

"Then why stay?" She swirled the liquid in her glass, not taking her eyes off Han.

He shrugged. "Got the _Falcons_ here, found Chewie, the Damerons were kind to me, met Luke, met Lando."

"So there is some good here."

"None that I can't take with me elsewhere." The bartender filled up his glass again and he rubbed his chin, sighing. "Naboo is more just a place to have a home base, you know? A place to keep my underwear and socks and work on the _Falcons_ in between races." He took a sip. "Speaking of underwear, you left something at my place."

She knew her face had turned bright red and she coughed. "I couldn't find it."

"Well, I would've helped you look for it, had you stayed. It was just sitting on my dresser." Leia didn't recall seeing any dresser but it had been nearly pitch dark in his room. "You want it back?"

She shrugged. "Don't go out of your way. It’s just a-" She demurely looked up and down the bar, but there was no one. "It's just a bra. Toss it, for all I care, hang it on your wall with pride. Wear it even."

He chuckled. "What, do you just think I have a wall of bras next to my tool rack or something?"

She shrugged. "Some men put notches in their bed posts, I know a guy who would take books from every one-night-stand he had."

"What book he take from you?"

"He was gay, actually. _Is_ gay. He took a phone charging cable."

Han smiled a small smile, and took another drink. "I don't."

"Don't…what?"

"Have a bra collection, notches in my bed, books or charging cables, or any other sick trophies some men do." He stood up straight and rubbed his neck. "Yes, there have been women, plural. But I don't 'prowl' or whatever you accused me of yesterday. Luke thinks I'm practically a polygamist because I've slept with more than f-…a few women." His face turned a little red, but he took a drink to try and get past it.

"'More than a few' or 'a few'?" Leia teasingly tried to clarify.

"The point is: what happened last weekend happened because I liked you, and I thought you liked me. Because I'm a nice man, truly."

"I do like you."

"I know." Han sounded defeated and sad, but did not clarify his statement. He took another drink. "But- but what would we do? You're going back to your glamorous life as a lawyer tomorrow. I've still got a ton of work to do in town, even if I was going to leave." He drank again. "And who's to say it would even work out. Most likely I’d just move out to where you are and we’d end up hating each other. Sure we might get married, pop out a few kids-" She grimaced at the verb "pop." "-one of whom would definitely turn out to be a homicidal maniac, and then what? What will we have left?"

Leia shrugged. "Each other?" She offered, not really sure if she was encouraging him to throw his life away for her. She hoped not. "Someone once told me we shouldn't always follow the paths laid before us, that life was worth a little danger."

Han perked up. "Holy shit, that's what it means. That's what I mean by that, thank you, sweetheart." There was an uproar of female voices and they turned to look at the crowd. "You missed the bouquet toss."

Leia smiled and shrugged. "Who'd wanna marry someone borderline psychotic like me?" She looked at him in the dim lighting of the torches and decided to let herself suffer one more heartbreak. She reached up on her tip-toes to peck him quickly on the cheek, which—by the look on his face—he had not foreseen. "Take care of yourself, Han."

"Y- you too, Leia."

* * *

 

The representative of Rebel Air took a once over of Leia. "Have we met?" She asked.

"Yeah, you helped me with my ticket about a month ago." Leia sighed. Nearly a month later and bureaucracy had come back to bite her in the ass.

"Well, you seem to just stir a world of trouble, don't you, Ms. Organa?" Leia nodded, hoping to get this over with as soon as possible. "It seems as though your luggage is still in Naboo airport."

"Ok, when will it be 'en route' or whatever?"

She clicked a few keys on her keyboard. "There's a flight for later today, can I get a number to reach you at?"

Leia sighed, and gave her the number- stopping halfway through.

"Ma'am is there something wrong?"

Leia shook her head and continued. She'd realized she hadn't given Han a single method of communication to reach her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's only one more chapter after this, so I just want to give an early thanks to everyone. I hope you enjoyed this fic, I plan on doing more Han/Leia in the future and I hope you'll check that out.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, this is the chapter to end it all.

She'd spent many a Saturday night trying to remember what it felt like to just lay next to him. When she'd felt the urge, it wasn't hard to recall the other portion of time she'd spent in Han's bed. But it was the laying there she wanted to remember most nights. She remembered feeling scared, feeling vulnerable, but she knew there was a portion of time between the sex and the fear where she had been content. There had to have been, right? A person doesn't just jump from one to the other without some lull. Maybe Han was right, maybe she was crazy.

She had gone home impatient for the entire ordeal to be over. She came back different. She'd faced a lot of things she had thought she was able to live with. Everyone had problems after all, and so what if hers were just a little bit heavier than the rest? That was how she'd felt about her life before leaving. But after facing all that ailed her, she decided that she wasn't willing to live with it anymore.

She started going to therapy, for once breaking through the shell she'd built for herself.

Luke and Mara's pictures from their honeymoon on Dagoba were entertaining. Luke had always wanted to visit the home of his favorite author Yoda, and Leia thought it was hilarious that he was subjecting his poor new bride in order to do that. They went to D'Qar as well, which was more Mara's speed, and even spent a night with Leia in Coruscant before heading home to Naboo. They discussed moving into the city, and she promised to keep an eye for listings and jobs.

A month went by, and then two. Though the summer heat hung on, the days were getting shorter, and Leia knew that autumn lay just around the corner. She was considering rotating her summer and autumn wardrobe early when she received an email from an unknown address:

" _Leia,_

_I hope you're doing well. It's been a while since we talked and I'm sorry about that. Cassian and I have finally started to make wedding plans, and we're both very occupied with the end of the racing season in sight. I've been very busy._

_I'm unaware if you knew, but there's a big race Saturday next at Coruscant Speedway, and Cassian was looking to go with his father. We'll be in town for the week prior and would love to be able to visit with you, if you have the time. If you would like, we could get a premium ticket for you to watch the race. No pressure, though, whatever you would like to do._

_Lot's of love,_

_Jyn and Cassian._ "

Her reply:

" _Jyn and Cassian,_

_It has indeed been a minute, and I understand. I've been busy myself._

_Not too busy, however, to meet with old friends. I'm free nearly any day after work or for lunch. And I would love to go to the race if you'd like the company, but don't go out of your way on my account._

_Hope to see you soon,_

_Leia._ "

* * *

People around the office would often talk about weekend plans. Mini-trips and concerts. Most of the time she just said sitting in with a bottle of whiskey and a movie (which nearly always got a laugh), but this time she had an answer: "I'm going to the races." She wasn't sure if she was even going as she didn't have a ticket yet, but it was worth mentioning it just to see the look on people's faces. ("Did you hear that? Leia Organa said she's going to the races.", "I wish my boyfriend would take me to the races.", "Does she have a boyfriend?", "She's gotta, what woman goes to the races by themselves?") Rumors of her sexual life aside, she planned on having a bad weekend either way and hoped to be pleasantly surprised.

On Wednesday she stopped by the tiny restaurant near her building. Cassian and Jyn were already there, expecting her. She hugged both of them tightly. She'd promised them the best meal of their life, and she hoped that Maz wouldn't disappoint.

"So, when's the big day, you two?" Leia asked.

The two of them glanced at each other then back to her.

"Actually, you should know…" Cassian started.

"We've pretty much decided to elope," Jyn finished, and Cassian nodded.

Leia hoped she didn't look too shocked. "Oh, well, that's fine. It's your big day, after all."

"After seeing everything with Mara and Luke, we decided we'd like something more simple." Cassian placed his hand on Jyn's as she spoke.

"A small ceremony, only immediate family and friends there," Cassian added.

Leia did her best to try and not feel slighted. "Oh, well-"

"And I'd like you to be a bridesmaid." Jyn was matter-of-fact about it.

"Really? Well, I'd be honored. Surely."

Jyn smiled. "Thank you. Mara will be maid of honor, and Luke will be best man. We're unsure of a second groomsman."

"Well, it's not as if we're walking down the aisle, it's just a ceremony." Cassian directed his comment to Jyn. Leia did her best to just be a spectator to this conversation.

"I thought you said you wanted Han to stand up with you."

"I do, but-…" Cassian trailed off. "I don't want to interrupt whatever it is he's doing."

"W- what's wrong with Han?" Leia asked, slightly concerned.

"Luke didn't tell you?" Leia shook her head and Jyn continued. "He's moving."

Leia balked. "Really?"

"Yeah, who would have thought?"

"Where to?"

"Here, Coruscant, but I'm not sure where in the city." She looked to Cassian for the answer.

"He's got a place in the boroughs. In the suburbs of all places. Never thought I'd see Han Solo behind a picket fence."

"Why here?" Leia asked, ignoring the part about the suburbs, and he shrugged.

"Said the races were better here, said it was time to move on. I'm not sure from what, though, but I don't want to take him from whatever it is. If he doesn't want to be a groomsman, I won't beg him."

Jyn made eye contact with Leia, smirking at her.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Leia felt her heart pounding as if Jyn had caught her in some unspeakable act, but she wasn't sure what she was hiding.

"I think we both know why Han moved to the city. Why he's all of a sudden got a picket fence and prefers the racing over here." Jyn asked for Cassian's phone and texted Leia with it. Leia looked at the text, it was an address location. "That's his new address."

Leia tried not to look shocked, staring at her phone and then back to Jyn. She hadn't actively been trying to keep what had happened between her and Han a secret, but she hadn't been overt about it. Well, at first she had been trying to keep it under wraps, but that had been for the sake of not spoiling her only brother's wedding. But after, when she'd gone home, there wasn't much to say. They'd decided to go their separate ways (she thought?), and who really cared who you slept with one time while on vacation? Not her or any of the people she regularly met. So to hear that Jyn made an assumption based on facts Leia had thought she had not been privy to, was shocking. "What are you talking about?"

"You didn't think you were that subtle did you? Miss 'Han-took-me-for-a-drive'. You spelled 'ride' wrong, that's for certain." Cassian looked surprised, but said nothing. Jyn only smiled. "I saw you two leave the party around 10 but it was nearly 3 when I texted you."

"That doesn't mean-"

"Tell me if I'm wrong. If I'm wrong, I'll take it. But I'm not, am I?"

Leia ducked her head. "You're not wrong. But that doesn't mean I'll go see him."

"Why not?"

Leia made a face. "Moving to the city means nothing. Plenty of people move to the city, Luke and Mara were here after their honeymoon discussing moving here. Just because he moved, doesn't mean anything between the two of us. There is better racing in Coruscant, and he's a good racer. He deserves whatever he can get. And I speak from experience when I say this is a great place to move on from the past."

Jyn scoffed. "Oh please, that man is like a boulder, only moved with great difficulty. You know how long we've been trying to convince him to try his hand at bigger races? For as long as I've known him, probably longer. You come along and he's out the door within three months? Bitch, he's got it bad for you." She sighed when Leia said nothing, not meeting her eyes.

"Why hasn't he tried to contact me yet then? I didn't leave him any information, but he could've easily asked Luke, Mara, or either of you." She picked at her appetizer.

"I don't have all the answers, unfortunately. I only have a semi-objective view and I care about both of you. Go visit him. If he doesn't want to be with you, at least then you'll know." Jyn's voice was matter-of-fact, decisive, the opposite of how Leia felt.

The subject changed, and she finished the meal with her two friends, but all she could think of was the address now in her phone.

* * *

You nervous?" Jyn asked, pressing a cup of water into Leia's hand.

Leia looked at her friend and then back at the race, a bit perplexed. "Not really no, why would I be?"

"You've just been staring at the track, the race doesn't start for at least another half-hour. Hoping to catch a glimpse of someone?" Jyn elbowed her, but not in a way that was unwelcome. Leia gave a small smile.

"I already told you: what happened between Han and I is over, and his move doesn't mean anything."

"How can you be sure he doesn't want a relationship?"

"Because we talked before I left, at the wedding. He said himself he didn't think things were going to work out."

"Maybe he was trying to convince himself more than you."

Leia let out a low breath and turned away from Jyn, not wanting to continue the conversation. Jyn seemed to have caught the hint.

"Thank you again for coming with me, I go to support Cassian and represent his father's company, but I get so bored being by myself."

"Don't take this the wrong way, Jyn. But what is it that you do, exactly?" Leia asked.

"It's fine. I do mostly administrative work. I was hired by Mr. Andor a little over three years ago to help out with the paperwork side of the company. Cassian told me that it was actually his job before I was hired, and he claims to have literally heard angels singing when I was hired."

The subject of Cassian was still awkward for Leia, how far was too far when discussing an ex? "He can be dramatic," Leia decided to say.

"He was like that growing up?" Jyn took a drink of her own water.

Leia nodded, and took a drink of her own. "Though we didn't meet until we were almost 18. He and Luke had grown up together."

"Yeah, I remember meeting Luke for the first time, he had come over to see Cassian and show him some ancient texts, he was not amused."

"That's hilarious," Leia said. "That sounds like Luke."

"Mara had actually come to visit me that day because I'd forgotten my lunch."

"Is that how they met?"

Jyn nodded. "They never told you?"

Leia shrugged. "He just told me that she was a friend of Cassian's, that she was involved with the races. I didn't pry, you know." Jyn nodded. "So you're the hinge-pin, huh?" Leia asked. "For both Luke and Mara and you and Cassian."

Jyn nodded. "I guess, yeah. I also introduced Han to Luke, and those two are inseparable now. But, he was really Mara's friend before he was mine, so maybe you'll want to blame that on her."

Leia nodded, but didn't say anything else, not wanting to discuss Han.

People were starting to move towards the windows, and Jyn led her to a spot near the wall. The cars were lined up and looked like the matchbox cars Luke had had in his room before moving out. She supposed he had probably played with those cars when he was younger.  _But you weren't there, you had your own life. And despite the fact that there is no excuse for your separation, there is no way to change it._  Her therapist had suggested to combat outbursts of anger about the past with rationalization. "You're a rational woman, it shouldn't be that hard," he had told her with a smile.

She took a breath and scanned the cars with her eyes, telling herself she was not looking for a banged up white car with blue stripes. She couldn't see it anyway.

"That one," Jyn told her, pointing to a car near the front. There was no need to ask what she meant. Leia side-eyed her and Jyn apologized.

Leia felt bad about her attitude earlier. Jyn was just trying to be nice. "How can you tell?" she asked, focusing on the car ahead.

"He's going to be up front because of his standing, even with the Coruscant racers, he's one of the highest." Leia nodded.

"Which one's are the Andor cars?" Leia tried to deflect her interest.

Jyn eyed her, but pointed to three red cars. "Bodhi, Baze, and Chirrut. Kaytoo is Chief, and Cassian is helping out with the pit today."

"How do you think they're going to do?" she asked.

Jyn shrugged. "Bodhi will get highest, he always does. But not as high as Han. Han might win."

"You're sure?"

Jyn shrugged. "You can never be sure, but you can make a good guess."

Leia thought that Jyn might be referring to more than just the race, but didn't press it. She thought back to her earlier conversation with Jyn, and wondered if those interactions had happened so casually as she had made them seem. Leia was sure Jyn would never claim to be an invisible hand, pushing people in the right (or wrong) direction, but she doubted Jyn meant anything except the best for those she loved by doing it.

This race was nothing like Leia had remembered from her albeit limited time watching Luke race during college. Those had been on a dirt track, the concession stand had been run out of a single cooler, and Leia had always kept her bag close to her. That Saturday, she'd left her jacket with a valet, and was drinking water out of a real glass in air conditioning. Though, this was the VIP lounge, it may very well be the same or similar in the regular seats. At least they probably weren't covered in dust after a race like the track in Naboo.

"They're so many cars," Leia commented.

Jyn laughed, a real genuine laugh. "This is nothing. I should take you to a Title I race. Try finding a car in the pack at those."

Leia bit her lip to hold back her question, but the question was burning too hot. "Is that where Han is going, Title I?"

Jyn side-eyed her. "Yes, I could see about getting you tickets, if-"

"I was just curious, this isn't my scene."

Jyn nodded. "Sorry, I was just trying to be nice."

"And I appreciate it, thank you, for everything."

They nodded, and continued to watch the race.

Leia tried to just watch the track as a whole, not focusing on one group (or one car). But she failed, miserably, time and time again seeking out the same white car. It slipped back, farther and farther, no longer in the top set of cars.

"It's so far behind," Leia whispered, reaching out to touch the glass.

"It's going into the pit, look," Jyn pointed, and indeed the car moved with a group of cars behind him. "He anticipated the rush, so he might be the first one out. But there's still a lot of race left, don't worry."

Leia didn't comment, only watched. After seeking the car out for the fifth time, she no longer cared too much about Jyn's comments. She cared, she cared that he had moved into town and didn't tell her. She wanted him to win this race, for her and for himself. She wanted to see him, win or lose.

The race was wrapping up and Leia had her face nearly pressed against the glass, staring at the white car as it slipped between first, second and third, back to second, back to first. One lap left, could he get up to- yes, he could.

The room erupted in applause and Leia cried out in relief, she cheered, she hugged Jyn.

"He won," she whispered in Jyn's ear.

"He did," Jyn confirmed. "Would you like to see him?"

Leia froze up, and shook her head, then nodded. "But- but, how?"

"I've got clearance, and sway. Just c'mon."

They descended from their position in the clouds down the underbelly of the track, down to where the racers were. That took awhile with traffic and also that it wasn't supposed to be easy to get where they were to where they were going. But Jyn assured her they wouldn't miss him.

"The racers, they like to gloat a lot after a race, take pictures, raise the trophy above their head, all that. It's for the best that we take our time, really."  
Leia did not want to wait. She had so many emotions and thoughts running through her brain. Would he be excited to see her? Would he be embarrassed? Would he even care?

Cassian met them at the entrance to the lower area, escorting them both as his guests. He greeted Jyn with a kiss, excited with Andor Racing's standing after the race.

"We'd like to see the hotshot, if you can," Jyn said, indicating Leia.

Cassian nodded. "It's not going to be easy to be near him, there was a lot riding on this race, and his team is going to be celebrating well into the night, I expect. But I'd like to try and congratulate him myself, so we can try."

He took them into a large room. The cacophony was deafening in the room, all cheering. Han was surrounded by people, and Leia could only catch a glimpse. His face and hair were drenched with sweat, but the expression of pure happiness on his face did nothing to indicate any exhaustion or discomfort. He drank champagne straight from the bottle, and was lifted onto the shoulders of two of his crew. He lifted his arms in the air, surveying the crowd. Leia could've sworn he saw her, she froze in place as his expression turning even a little bit. He glanced back in her direction when his body was turned, but he said nothing. Her heart fell and she felt tears well up in her eyes.

"I want to leave," she shouted to Jyn over the shouting. "I can't do this."

"I don't think he saw you," Jyn shouted back.

"I don't care, I want to leave."

"We should go," Cassian echoed. "We're never going to be able to speak to him, and this room is only going to get more crowded." Indeed, Leia was already being pushed up against the men in front of her, and she was feeling very claustrophobic as well as sad.

"C'mon, Leia," Jyn said, pulling her arm to guide her towards the door.

They were walking back towards ground level and Jyn told her to go see him later.

"He doesn't want to see me, if he wanted to see me, he would've told me he was coming," Leia said, more stubborn than ever.

"You don't know that." Jyn argued.

Leia paused at the top of the stairwell. "No, I don't, but I also don't care. If he wants to see me, he can damn well come and see me."

She didn't see Jyn and Cassian share a look with each other after she walked away to her car. She only saw them embrace and walk-away, arm in arm.

* * *

"Trust," her therapist said. "You need to work on trusting people."

Leia didn't see how he could've come to that conclusion from the events of the past Saturday, but she had stopped trying to guess his logic. Things went a lot smoother when she just listened to him.

"I trusted Jyn and Cassian, didn't I?"

He nodded, folding his hands over his lap. "Yes, you did. But you also think Jyn was manipulating you to go and speak to Han."

Leia looked down, when he said it like that, she sounded crazy.  _But that's why you're here._  She took a deep breath.  _To stop being crazy._

"She wasn't malicious, I know."

"The word 'manipulate' gets a bad rap, really. It is such a benign word, meaning to simply move something for your own purposes. You manipulated the door to get into here, I manipulate this pen to write what I want." He showed her the pen in question, smiling a gentle smile. "Jyn very well may have been manipulating you to go see Han, but who is to say that is a bad thing? You should trust your friends to have your good intentions at heart."

She nodded, a question burning in her brain. "It's hard," she conceded.

"Life is hard, but that's why you've come, to get help in life."

"And mine was harder than most. Don't I deserve, if nothing else, to be a little distrusting?" There it was, the question.

He sighed, putting together his words. "The past is dead. You can only change your own attitude in the future, Leia. Expect the best and prepare for the worst, as they say. The troubles that you have gone through are not invalidated because you listen to what your friends are telling you." She nodded, biting her lip. "You didn't choose the perpetrators of your trauma, but you can choose your friends. And I encourage you to choose people who care about you, and try to steer you towards happiness."

"And you think Han is happiness for me?"

He shook his head. "Happiness can only be found within yourself, not in a relationship. But I think there are several strings that have been left loose with Han, and it might do wonders for your sanity to tie those up."

"And what if it doesn't?"

He shrugged and smiled. "Well, then we'll have something very interesting to talk about next week."

She laughed, and nodded.

* * *

It was a one-story, three bedroom, two bath with a two-car garage. The black TIE was parked in the driveway, and the garage was open. The hood was up on an old car and the sound of engine work was prevalent underneath. She hadn't felt nervous walking up the driveway, but now that she was right in front of him, she had gotten cold feet. _The troubles that you have gone through are not invalidated because you listen to what your friends are telling you_ , she told herself.

She stepped into the garage, and wished she had called first. But she didn't have his number, only his address. He seemed to notice someone there, because he groaned.

"Go away, I've got no time for solicitation," he said, sounding very annoyed.

"What about for someone who loves you?" The words just slipped out, and she didn't mean them 100%. It just sounded good.

He poked his head out of the hood, an annoyed expression on his face. It changed immediately, and he stood up, hitting his head on the hood in the process. He cried out, cradling his head in his hands. She crossed the room and took his head in her hands too, inspecting for any blood.

His hands fell away to hold onto her waist, and hers fell onto his shoulders. They were staring at each other now, embracing in his garage. He closed his eyes and leaned his head down, but she pushed away. His hands fell away-empty-as she took a step back, smoothing down the front of her suit.

He cleared his throat, and placed his hands on his hips. "Did I see you at the race on Saturday?" His eyes were narrow, but he didn't smirk.

She nodded. "I went to go see you after."

"I thought that was you, but there were so many people in that room, I didn't dare- well, i didn't expect you to be there."

"Neither did I," she said. "But Jyn asked me to go, and I was free, and…" She looked at the _Millenium_ , not daring to look up. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you." There was a pause. "And how're things for you?"

She nodded. "They're good. Really good. Work is good."

"Cases going well?" He crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke.

"I'm really not at liberty to discuss ongoing cases, so all I can really say is that they're going."

"Getting beat, I see."

She sighed and smiled. "I'm not at liberty to discuss them, even to say if we're doing well. Which, I won't even be able to really tell until it's over anyway, so."

"Yeah, but it made you smile." He smirked at her, and she scoffed. "Do you want to come inside? I'm sure Chewie would be happy to see you."

Leia looked at the door he was indicating, but shook her head. "I- I came here to talk to you. I need to ask you…"

There was a moment, a pause while Han waited, but Leia couldn't get the words out. "Ask me what?" His words were gentle.

"Why didn't you tell me you were in town?" She asked, finally. "I found out from Jyn and Cassian. They told me you bought a house and are going through some stuff, but you hadn't called me or emailed or anything. I could've helped you find a realtor or something, there's a great ethnic place not far from here. I could've treated you to a nice dinner."

"Sweetheart, you're babbling. I didn't need any of those things, I can take care of myself, you know."

"I know, that's not what I'm saying."

"Then what are you saying?"

"Why did you leave Naboo?"

He made a face. "Never heard of the place," he said, clearly having rehearsed this line. "But I've heard there're some pretty girls from there." He smirked.

"I'm serious! When I left, you told me directly that you would move here if we...continued things, but you also said you didn't think that was a good idea."

He looked at the '63, thumbing his own arm. "I lied," he told her, looking back at her. "To myself, not to you. You're probably better off without me. My job isn't the safest, and I know I'm not the easiest guy to be around. I don't know if I want kids because I have no idea what I'd do with them, and I'd be as committed to my job as I am to you. For you, that's good, it's a lot, but it could feel crowded, fitting a car into our relationship."

She was speechless, leaning back on the _Millenium_. "Well, lucky for us, I'm no housewife. I think I wanna be DA, seriously. Maybe not within the next ten years or so, but someday. As far as I'm concerned, you'd have to share me with the city."

Han thought a moment. "We might want to get a bigger house, then." She smiled. "Seriously though, I didn't call you because I just moved in less than a month ago, and it was hard enough coordinating the move and the race. I just got the last of my stuff yesterday, actually. I decided to focus on the race, then settling in, and then call you. Couldn't very well invite a lady over if my bed isn't made, you know?"

She laughed. "That's funny, a little presumptuous, but funny."

His eyes flicked up to hers, and his demeanor changed. The garage felt very hot all of a sudden. "It's only presumptuous if it doesn't work," he commented.

"What makes you think it will?"

"I don't." He moved towards her and she did nothing to move out of the way. He moved a stray hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. He ducked his face down, to kiss her cheek. She turned her face to his and captured his lips with hers, wrapping her arms around his neck. His slid around her waist, pressing her closer to the car.

She broke away for air, pressing their foreheads together. "Seriously though, you didn't move here, just for me, right?"

He chuckled. "I'm too much of a scoundrel for that."

"Good, I need more scoundrels in my life." She kissed him again, deeper this time.

He lifted her up to sit on the car, their faces the same height now. He kissed her neck and ran his hands up and down her sides.

"You said...did you say your bed was made?" she asked. He nodded against her neck, hands sliding down her back to her ass.

"It's new, just put it together," he said as she ran her hands through his hair.

"Well, let's give it a test run, shall we?" He didn't need any other invitation, wrapping her legs around his waist and carrying her inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for your support, please check out any future Han/Leia fics I post. Love you all, peace.


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